IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTL^,N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notas/Notaa  techniques  et  bibliographiquee 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  charge 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  At*  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique.  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite.  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquis  ci-dessous. 


□ 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


D 


D 


D 


D 


Couverture  endommag^e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculie 


□    Cover  title  missing/ 
Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 


r~7|    Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 


along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 

distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int6rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
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II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutdes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  iorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmdes. 


□   Coloured  peges/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Q   Pages  dama^o^d/ 
Pages  endommag6es 

□    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restauries  et/ou  pelliculdes 

I — y  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
i J    Pages  d6color6es,  tachetdes  ou  piqu^es 

r~~j    Pages  detached/ 
' I    Pages  d6tach6es 

r~jy  Showthrough/ 
I I    Transparence 

□    Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  indgaie  de  I'impression 

□    Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 

□    Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


D 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc..  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  film6es  A  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenir  la  meilieure  image  possible. 


n 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaireu  suppldmentaires: 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  rMuction  indiqud  ci-dessous. 


10X 


14X 


18X 

[Tf 


22X 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'exemplaire  fllmt  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAnArositi  de: 

BibliothAque  nationaie  du  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
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filming  contract  specifications. 


Las  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettett  de  l'exemplaire  filmi,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrateu  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplairtis  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprlmte  sont  fiimis  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  oxemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenp ant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  sulvants  apparaltra  sur  la 
derniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbols  y  signifie  "FIN  ". 


IVIaps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  6tre 
filmfo  k  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichi,  11  est  film6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  has,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nicessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


1 

2 

3 

% 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

■tt»,.  1.* 


In 


/ 


LIKE   CHRIST 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 

^th  «iditlon«  from  the  "Ho^T.  «^'>*cted 

•xtr^    PotfcSvo .7.       ^°"«8t  of  AU.-^    Cloth 

Th*  Holiest  of  All        a'",!.' "* M 

Grown  8vo "°**-   <»th  thousand,  SmaU 

j;«« ««.  Perttet.  oiott.;;.' M 

"V.    CrowB,  8TO.,  gilt  top   ..„.^y-  ■*■">«« mS: 

MJ 


LIKE    CHRIST 


THOUGHTS 

ON  THE   BLESSED   LIFE   OF  CONFORMIiy 
TO   THE   SON   OF   GOD. 


.75 


A  Sequel  to  'ABIDE  IJf  CHRIST.' 


.75 


iWMflfWtDREW  MURRAY, 

WILLUfOTOM,  CAPS  OV  OOOD  BOV& 


*Even  at  I,  ye  aUo,* 


Ortiittgifouct^  CilouMnll* 


FLEMING    H.    REVELL    COMPANY, 

CHICAGO,       NEW    YORK,       TORONTO, 

^itblii)jevi  of  (Kbangelual  |titerature. 


Sr^r.^fr.  - 


Entered  aooordlnR  to  Act  of  the 
in  the  year  1886^  by  Thb  Mm 
Department  of  Agriculture. 


Canada, 

at  the 


^*i/U4l^f 


PREFACE. 


In  sending  forth  this  little  book  on  the  Image  of 
our  blessed  Lord,  and  the  likeness  to  Him  to  which 
we  are  called,  I  have  only  two  remarks  by  way  of 
preface. 

The  oriie  is  that  no  one  can  be  more  conscious 
than  myself  of  the  difficulty  of  the  task  I  have 
undertaken,  and  its  very  defective  execution.  There 
were  two  things  I  had  to  do.  The  one  was  to  draw 
such  a  portrait  of  the  Son  of  God,  as  '  in  all  things 
made  like  unto  His  brethren,'  as  to  show  how,  in 
the  reality  of  His  human  life,  we  have  indeed  an 
exact  Pattern  of  what  the  Father  wants  us  to  be. 
What  was  wanted  was  such  a  portrait  as  should 
make  likeness  to  Him  infinitely  and  mightily 
attractive,  should  rouse  desire,  awaken  love,  inspire 
hope,  and  strengthen  faith  in  all  who  are  seeking 
to  imitate  Jesus  Christ.  And  then  I  had  to  sketch 
another  portrait, — that  of  the  believer  as  he  really, 
with  some    degree    of    spiritual    exactness,    reflects 


PHEFACE. 


this  Iinaj^e,  and  amirl  the  trials  and  duties  of  daily 
life  proves  that  lil<eness  to  Christ  is  no  mere  ideal, 
but  tlirough  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  a  most 
blessed  reality. 

How  often  and  how  deeply  I  have  felt,  after  hav- 
ing sought  to  delineate  some  one  trait  of  the  blessed 
Life,  how  utterly  insuflicient  human  thoughts  are  to 
grasp,  or  human  words  to  express,  that  spiritual 
beauty  of  which  one  at  best  only  has  seen  faint 
glimpses !  And  how  often  our  very  thoughts  de- 
ceive us,  as  they  give  us  some  human  conception  in 
the  mind  of  what  the  Word  reveals,  while  we  lack 
that  true  vision  of  the  spiritual  glory  of  Him  who 
is  the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory  ! 

The  second  remark  I  wish  to  make  is  a  sug- 
gestion as  to  what  I  think  is  needed  really  to 
behold  the  glory  of  the  blessed  Image  into  which 
we  are  to  be  changed.  I  was  very  much  struck 
some  time  ago,  in  au  infant  school  examination, 
with  the  practice  a  little  class  in  object-lessons  was 
put  through.  A  picture  was  shown  tliem,  which 
they  were  told  to  look  at  carefully.  They  then 
had  to  shut  their  eyes,  and  take  time  to  think  and 
remember  everything  they  had  seen.  The  picture 
was  now  removed,  and  the  little  ones  had  to  tell  all 
they  could.  Again  the  picture  was  shown,  and 
they  had  to  try  and  notice  what  they  had  not  ob- 


PKRFACE. 


served  before  ;  again  to  shut  their  eyes  and  think, 
and  again  to  tell  what  more  they  had  noticed. 
And  so  once  more,  until  every  line  of  the  picture 
had  been  taken  in.  As  I  looked  at  the  keen 
interest  witli  which  the  little  eyes  now  gazed  on  the 
picture,  and  then  were  pressed  so  tightly  shut  as 
th<»y  tried  to  realize,  nnd  take  in,  and  keep  what 
tliey  had  been  looking  at,  I  felt  that  if  our  Bible 
reading  were  more  of  such  an  object-lesson,  the 
unseen  spiritual  realities  pictured  to  us  in  the 
Word  would  take  much  deeper  hold  of  our  inner 
life.  We  are  too  easily  content  with  the  thoughts 
suggested  by  tlie  words  of  the  Bible,  though  these 
are  but  forms  of  trutli,  without  giving  time  for  the 
substantial  spiritual  reality,  which  the  Word  as  the 
truth  of  God  contains,  to  get  lodged  and  rooted  in 
tlie  heart.  Let  us,  in  meditating  on  the  Image  of 
God  in  Christ,  to  which  we  are  to  be  conformed, 
remomher  tills.  When  some  special  tniit  has  oc- 
cupied our  thoui^hts,  let  us  shut  our  eyes,  and  open 
our  hearts ;  let  us  think,  and  pray,  and  believe  in 
tlie  working  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  until  we  really  see 
the  blessed  Master  in  that  special  light  in  which 
the  Word  has  been  setting  Him  before  us,  and  can 
carry  away  for  that  day  the  deep  and  abiding  im- 
pre.ssion  of  that'heavenly  beauty  in  Him  which  we 
know  is  to  be  reproduced  in  us.     Let  us  gaze,  and 


r 


8 


PREFACE. 


gaze  again,  let  us  worship  and  adore ;  the  more  we 
see  Him  as  He  is,  the  liker  Him  we  must  become. 
To  study  the  image  of  God  iu  the  man  Christ 
Jesus,  to  yield  and  set  open  our  inmost  being  for 
that  image  to  take  possession  and  live  in  us,  and 
then  to  go  forth  and  let  the  heavenly  likeness 
reflect  itself  and  shine  out  in  our  life  among  our 
fellow-men, — this  is  what  we  have  been  redeemed 
for,  let  this  be  what  we  live  for. 

And  now  I  entrust  the  little  book  to  the  gracious 
care  of  the  blessed  Lord  of  wliose  glory  it  seeks 
to  tell.  May  He  give  us  to  see  that  there  is  no 
beauty  or  blessedness  like  that  of  a  Christ-like  life. 
May  He  teach  us  to  believe  that  in  union  with 
Him  the  Christ-like  life  is  indeed  for  us.  And  as 
each  day  we  listen  to  what  His  Word  tells  us  of 
His  image,  may  each  one  of  us  have  grace  to  say, 
'  0  my  Father !  even  us  Thy  beloved  Son  lived  in 
Thee,  with  Thee,  for  Thee  on  earth,  even  so  would 
I  also  live.' 

A.  M. 

"Wellington,  Cape  of  Good  Hopk. 


P.S. — As  the  tone  of  the  meditations  is  mostly 
personal,  I  have,  at  the  close  of  the  volume,  added 
some  more  general  thoughts.  *  On  Preaching  Christ 
as  our  Example.' 


CONTENTS. 


jre  IS  no 


LIKE  CH 

DAY 

HIST: 

rAoi 

1.   Bt'CiUiso  we  abide  in  Him,         .            . 

11 

2.  He  Hiinaeircalls  us  to  it,          . 

Id 

3.  As  one  that  senreth,       . 

25 

4.  '^'jr  Head,          .            , 

82 

5.  Ill  suttt'iiHg  Wrong,       , 

io 

6.  Crucitiod  with  Him, 

4,7 

7.   Ill  Mis  Self- Denial, 

66 

8.  In  his  Self-.saciilice,       . 

62 

9.  Not  of  the  World, 

^0 

10.  In  His  Heavenly  Mission, 

.         77 

11.  As  the  Klect  of  God, 

88 

12.  In  doing  God's  Will,     . 

90 

13.  In  His  Compassion, 

97 

14.  In  His  Oneness  with  the  Father, 

105 

15.  In  His  Dependence  on  the  Father, 

111 

16.  In  His  Love, 

118 

17.  In  His  Praying, 

124 

18.  In  His  Use  of  Scripture, 

132 

19.   In  forgiving, 

140 

20.   In  beholding  Him, 

. 

146 

21.  In  His  Humility, 

154 

'ft 


1 1 


10 


CONTENTS. 


I 


DAT 

22.  In  the  Likeness  of  His  Death, 

23.  In  the  Likeness  of  His  Resurrection, 

24.  Being  made  conformable  to  His  Death 

25.  Giving  His  Life  for  Hen, 

26.  In  His  Meekness,  .  . 

27.  Abiding  in  the  Love  of  God,     . 

28.  Led  by  the  Spirit, 

29.  In  His  Life  through  the  Father, 

30.  In  glorifying  the  Father,  . 

31.  In  His  Glory,     .  .  . 


PAOB 

161 

171 

181 

188 

195 

201 

209 

216 

225 

234 


On  preaching  Christ  our  Example,  . 


241 


LIKE  CURIST;   BECAUSE  WE  ABIDE  IN  HIM.         11 


First  Day. 


LIKE  CHHIST:. 

Brraitsc  Iwe  abitie  in  J^im. 

*He  that  saith  he  abfdeth  in  Him,  ought  himself  also  80  to 
walk,  even  as  He  walked.'  —1  John  ii.  6. 

ABIDING  in  Christ  and  icalkiug  like  Christ:  these 
are  the  two  blessings  of  the  new  life  which  are 
here  set  before  us  in  their    essential  unity.     The 
fruit  of  a  life  in  Christ  is  a  life  like  Christ. 

To  the  first  of  these  expressions,  abiding  in  Christ, 
we  are  no  strangers.  The  wondrous  paralde  of  the 
Vine  and  the  branches,  with  the  accompanying 
commanrl,  'Abide  in  nie,  and  I  in  you,'  has  often 
been  to  us  a  source  of  ricli  instruction  and  comfort. 
And  though  we  feel  as  if  we. had  but  very  imj)er- 
fectly  learned  the  lesson  of  abiding  in  Him,  yet  we 
have  tasted  something  of  the  joy  tliat  comes  when  the 
soul  can  say :  Lord,  Thou  knowest  all  things,  Thou 
knowest  that  I  do  abide  in  Thee.  And  He  knows 
too  how  often  the  fervent  prayer  still  arises  :  Blessed 
Lord,  do  grant  me  the  com))lete  unbroken  abiding. 

The  second  expression,  walking  like  Christ,  is  not 
less  significant  than  the  first.  It  is  the  promise  of 
the  wonderful  power  which  the  abiding  in  Him  will 
exert,     4-S  the  fruit  of  our  surreuL^r  to  live  wholly 


.toi^ii 


ffF 


12 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


in  Him,  ITis  life  works  so  mightily  in  us,  that 
our  walk,  the  outward  expression  of  the  inner  life, 
becomes  like  His.  The  two  are  inseparably  con- 
nected. The  abiding  in  always  precedes  the  walk- 
ing like  Him.  And  yet  the  aim  to  walk  like  Him 
must  equally  precede  any  large  measure  of  abiding. 
Only  then  is  the  need  for  a  close  union  fully  realized, 
or  is  the  Heaveidy  Giver  free  to  bestow  the  fulness 
of  His  grace,  because  He  sees  that  the  soul  is  pre- 
pared to  use  it  according  to  His  design.  When  the 
Saviour  said,  'If  ye  keep  my  commandments,  ye 
shall  abide  in  my  love,'  He  meant  just  this :  the 
surrender  to  walk  like  me  is  the  path  to  the  full 
abiding  in  me.  Many  a  one  will  discover  that  just 
here  is  the  secret  of  his  failure  in  abiding  in  Christ ; 
he  did  not  seek  it  with  the  view  of  walking  like 
Christ.  The  words  of  St.  John  invite  us  to  look  at 
the  two  truths  in  their  vital  connection  and  depend- 
ence on  each  other. 

The  first  lesson  they  teach  io :  He  that  seeks 
to  abide  in  Christ  must  imlk  even  as  He  walked. 
We  all  know  that  it  is  a  matter  of  course  that  a 
branch  bears  fruit  of  the  same  sort  as  the  vine  to 
which  it  belongs.  The  life  of  the  vine  and  the 
branch  is  so  completely  identical,  that  the  manifesta- 
tion of  that  life  must  be  identical  too.  When  the 
Lord  Jesus  redeemed  us  with  His  blood,  and  pre- 
sented us  to  the  Father  in  His  righteousness.  He 
did  not  leave  us  in  our  old  nature  to  serve  God  as 
best  we  could.  No ;  in  Him  dwelt  the  eternal  life, 
tlie  holy  divine  life  of  heaven,  and  every  one  who 
is  in  Him  receives  from  Him  that  same  eternal  life 


BECAUiiE  WE  ABIDE  IN  HIM. 


13 


us,  that    { 
nner  life,    ; 
ibly  con- 
the  walk- 
like Him 
F  abiding. 
y  realized, 
lie  fulness 
ul  is  pre- 
When  the 
ments,  ye 
this:  the 
to  the  full 
:  that  just 
in  Christ ; 
king  like 
to  look  at 
d  depend- 

lat  seeks 
(e  walked. 
[se  that  a 
le  vine  to 

and  the 
nanifesta- 
IVhen  the 

and  pre- 
Isness,  He 
le  God  as 

)rnal  life, 

one  who 
lernal  life 


in  its  holy  heavenly  power.  Hence  nothing  can  be 
I  more  natural  than  the  claim  that  he  that  abides  in 
Ilim,  continually  receiving  life  from  Him,  must  also 
Uo  walk  even  as  He  walked. 

This  mighty  life  of  God  in  the  soul  does  not, 
lowever,  work  as  a  blind  force,  compelling  us 
Hgnorautly  or  involuntarily  to  act  like  Christ.  On 
the  contrary,  the  walking  like  Him  must  come  as 
j^he  result  of  a  deliberate  choice,  sought  in  strong 
^esire,  accepted  of  a  living  will.  With  this  view, 
|he  Father  in  heaven  showed  us  in  Jesus'  earthly  life 
what  the  life  of  heaven  would  be  when  it  came 
down  into  the  conditions  and  circumstances  of  our 
human  life.  And  with  the  same  object  the  Lord 
Jesus,  wlien  we  receive  the  new  life  from  Him,  and 
when  He  calls  us  to  abide  in  Him,  that  we  may 
receive  that  life  more  abundantly,  ever  points  w.ii  to 
His  own  life  on  earth,  and  tells  us  that  it  is  to 
walk  even  as  He  walked  that  the  new  life  has  been 
liestowed.  'Even  as  I,  so  ye  also:'  that  word  of 
the  Master  takes  His  whole  earthly  life,  and  very 
i  simply  makes  it  the  rule  and  guide  of  all  our  con- 
duct. If  we  abide  in  Jesus,  we  may  not  act  other- 
[wise  than  He  did.  'Like  Ch  1st'  gives  in  one 
aliort  all  -  inclusive  word  the  blessed  law  of  tlie 
^'hristian  life.  He  is  to  think,  to  speak,  to  act  as 
Tesus  did ;  as  Jesus  was,  even  so  is  he  to  be. 

The  second  lesson  is  the  complement  of  the  first : 
[le  that  seeks  to  walk  like  Christ,  must  abide  in  Him. 

There  is  a  twofold  need  of  this  lesson.  With 
some  there  is  the  earnest  desire  and  efibrt  to  follow 


14 


LIKE  GlIUIST: 


Christ's  example,  without  any  sense  of  the  impossi- 
bility of  doing  so,  except  by  deep,  real  abiding  in 
Him.  They  fail  because  they  seek  to  obey  the 
high  command  to  live  like  Christ,  without  the  only 
power  tliat  can  do  so — the  living  in  Christ.  With 
others  tliere  is  the  opposite  error ;  they  know  their 
own  weakness,  and  count  the  walking  like  Christ  an 
impossibility.  As  much  as  those  who  seek  to  do  it 
and  who  fail,  do  those  who  do  not  seek  because  they 
expect  to  fail,  need  the  lesson  we  are  enforcing. 
To  walk  like  Christ  one  must  abide  in  Him;  he 
that  abides  in  Him  has  the  power  to  walk  like 
Him ;  not  indeed  in  himself  or  his  own  efforts,  but 
in  Jesus,  who  perfects  His  strength  in  our  weakness. 
It  is  just  when  I  feel  my  utter  impotence  most 
deeply,  and  fully  accept  Jesus  in  His  wondrous 
union  to  myself  as  my  life,  that  His  power  works 
in  me,  and  I  am  able  to  lead  a  life  completely 
beyond  wliat  my  power  could  obtain.  I  begin  to  see 
that  abiding  in  Him  is  not  a  matter  of  moments  or 
special  seasons,  but  the  deep  life  process  in  which, 
by  His  keeping  grace,  I  continue  without  a  moment's 
intermission,  and  from  which  I  act  out  all  my 
Christian  life.  And  I  feel  emboldened  really  to 
take  Him  in  everything  as  my  example,  because  I 
am  sure  that  the  hidden  inner  union  and  likeness 
must  work  itself  out  into  a  visible  likeness  in 
walk  and  conduct. 

Dear  reader !  if  God  give  us  grace,  in  the  course 
of  our  meditations,  truly  to  enter  into  the  meaning  of 
these  His  words,  and  what  they  teach  of  a  life  in  very 


BECAUSE  WB  ABIDE  IN  IIIM. 


15 


31- 

in 

[ily 

ith 
leir 
,  an 
.0  it 

iing. 

;  he 

like 

,  but 

ness. 

most 

irous 

vorks 

letely 

to  see 

its  or 

vhicb, 

iieut's 
ray 

Ily  to 
i\se  I 
euesa 
ss   in 

I  course 
nng  of 
in  very 


1 


m 


deed  like  Christ's,  we  shall  more  than  once  come 
into  the  presence  of  heights  and  depths  that  will 
make  us  cry  out,  How  can  these  things  be  ?  If 
the  Holy  Spirit  reveal  to  us  the  heavenly  perfec- 
tion of  the  humanity  of  our  Lord  as  the  image  of 
the  unseen  God,  and  speaks  to  us,  '  so,  even  so  ought 
ye  also  to  walk,'  the  first  effect  will  be  that  we 
shall  begin  to  feel  at  what  a  distance  we  are  from 
Him.  We  shall  be  ready  to  give  up  hope,  and  to 
say  with  so  many,  It  avails  not  to  attempt  it:  I 
never  can  walk  like  Jesus.  At  such  moments  we 
shall  find  our  strength  in  the  message.  He  thcit 
ahideth  in  Him,  he  must,  he  can,  also  so  walk  even 
as  He  walked.  The  word  of  the  Master  will  come 
with  new  meaning  as  the  assurance  of  strength 
sutlicient :  He  that  abideth  in  me  beareth  much  fruit. 
Therefore,  brother,  abide  in  Him !  Every 
believer  is  in  Christ ;  but  not  every  one  abides  in 
Him,  in  the  consciously  joyful  and  trustful  surrender 
of  the  whole  being  to  His  influence.  You  know 
what  abiding  in  Him  is.  It  is  to  consent 
with  our  whole  soul  to  His  being  our  life,  to 
reckon  upon  Him  to  inspire  us  in  all  that  goes  to 
make  up  life,  and  then  to  give  up  everything  most 
al)solutely  for  Him  to  rule  and  work  in  us.  It  is 
the  rest  of  the  full  assurance  that  He  does,  each 
moment,  work  in  us  what  we  are  to  be,  and  so 
Himself  enables  us  to  maintain  that  perfect 
surrender,  in  whicli  He  is  free  to  do  all  His  will. 
Let  all  who  do  indeed  long  to  walk  like  Christ 
take  courage  at  the  thouglit  of   what  He  is  and 


16 


LIKE  GHBIST: 


will  prove  Himself  to  be  if  they  trust  Him.  He 
is  the  Tnie  Vine;  no  vine  ever  dicl  so  fully  for 
its  branches  what  He  will  do  for  us.  We  have 
only  to  consent  to  be  branches.  Honour  Him  by  a 
joyful  trust  that  He  is,  beyond  all  conception,  the 
True  Vine,  holding  you  by  His  almighty  strength, 
supplying  you  from  His  infinite  fulness.  And  as 
your  faith  thus  looks  to  Him,  instead  of  sighing 
and  failure,,  the  voice  of  praise  will  be  heard 
repeating  the  language  of  faith :  Thanks  be  to  God ! 
he  that  abideth  in  Him  does  walk  even  as  He 
walked.  Thanks  be  to  God !  I  abide  in  Him,  and 
I  walk  as  He  walked.  Yes,  thanks  be  to  God  in 
the  blessed  life  of  God's  redeemed  these  two  are 
inseparably  one:  abiding  in  Christ  and  walking 
like  Christ. 


Blessed  Saviour!  Thou  knowest  how  often  I 
have  said  to  Thee,  Lord,  I  do  abide  in  Thee  I 
And  yet  I  sometimes  feel  that  the  full  joy  and 
power  of  life  in  Thee  is  wanting.  Thy  word  this 
day  has  reminded  me  of  what  may  be  the  reason 
of  failure.  I  sought  to  abide  in  Thee  more  for  my 
own  comfort  and  growth  than  Thy  glory.  I  did 
not  apprehend  fully  how  the  hidden  union  with 
Thee  had  for  its  object  perfect  conformity  to  Thee, 
and  how  only  he  who  wholly  yields  himself  to 
serve  and  obey  the  Father  as  completely  as  Thou 
didst,  can  fully  receive  all  that  the  heavenly  love 
can  do  for  him.  I  now  see  something  of  it :  the 
entire  surrender  to  live  and  work  like  Thee  must 


BECAUSE  WE  ABIDE  IN  HIM. 


l*t 


precede  the  full  experience  of  the  wondrous  power 
of  Thy  life. 

Lord,  I  thank  Thee  for  the  discovery.  With  my 
whole  heart  I  would  accept  Thy  calling,  and  yield 
myself  in  everything  to  walk  even  as  Thou  didst 
walk.  To  be  Thy  faithful  follower  in  all  Thou  wert 
and  didst  on  earth,  be  the  one  desire  of  my  heart. 

Blessed  Lord!  he  that  truly  yields  himself  to 
walk  as  Thou  didst  walk,  will  receive  grace  wholly 
to  abide  in  Thee.  0  my  Lord !  here  I  am.  To 
walk  like  Christ !  for  this  I  do  indeed  consecrate 
myself  to  Thee.  To  abide  in  Christ !  for  this  I 
trust  in  Thee  with  full  assurance  of  faith.  Perfect 
in  me  Thine  own  work. 

And  let  Thy  Holy  Spirit  help  me,  0  my  Lord » 
each  time  I  meditate  on  what  it  is  to  walk  like 
Thee,  to  hold  fast  the  blessed  truth :  as  one  who 
abides  in  Christ,  I  have  the  strength  to  walk  like 
Chiist.     Amen. 


18 


LIKE  cuRisr : 


Second  Day. 


LIKE   CHRIST: 

^t  f^imself  calls  n»  to  it 

*  I  have  given  yoa  an  example,  that  ye  also  should  do  euen  aa 
I  have  done  to  you.* — John  xiii.  15. 

IT  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  beloved  Redeemer  of  our 
souls,  who  speaks  thus.  He  had  just, 
huniMing  Himself  to  do  the  work  of  the  slave, 
washed  His  disciples'  feet.  In  doing  so  His  love 
had  rendered  to  the  body  the  service  of  which  it 
stood  in  need  at  the  supper  table.  At  the  same 
time  He  had  shown,  in  a  striking  symbol,  what 
He  had  done  for  their  souls  in  cleansing  them  from 
sin.  In  this  twofold  work  of  love  He  had  thus  set 
before  them,  just  before  parting,  in  one  significant 
act,  the  whole  work  of  His  life  as  a  ministry  of 
blessing  to  body  and  to  souL  And  as  He  sits 
down  He  says :  *  7  have  given  you  an  eocample,  that 
YE  ALSO  shmild  do,  evkn  as  I  have  done  to  you.'  All 
that  they  had  seen  in  Him,  and  experienced  from 
Him,  is  thus  made  the  rule  of  their  life :  *  Even 
AS  I  have  done,  do  ye  also.' 

The  word  of  the  blessed  Saviour  is  for  us  too. 
To  each  one  who  knows  that  the  Lord  has  washed 


s  u 


HE  HIMSELF  CALLS  US  TO  IT. 


19 


lo  even  aa 


away  his  sin  the  command  comes  with  all  the 
touching  force  of  one  of  the  last  words  of  Him  who 
is  going  out  to  die  for  us :  '  Even  as  I  have  done 
to  you,  so  DO  YE  ALSO.'  Jesus  Christ  does  indeed 
ask  every  one  of  us  in  everything  to  act  just  as  we 
have  seen  Him  do.  Wliat  He  lias  done  to  ourselves, 
and  still  does  each  day,  we  are  to  do  over  again  to 
others.  In  His  condescending,  paidoning,  saving 
love,  He  is  our  example ;  each  of  us  is  to  be  the 
copy  and  image  of  the  Master. 

The  thought  comes  at  once :  Alas !  how  little 
have  I  lived  thus ;  how  little  have  I  even  known 
that  I  was  expected  thus  to  live !  And  yet,  He  is 
my  lord ;  He  loves  me,  and  I  love  Him ;  I  dare 
not  entertain  the  thought  of  living  otherwise  than 
He  would  have  me.  What  can  I  do  but  open  my 
heart  to  His  word,  and  fix  my  gaze  on  His  example, 
until  it  exercises  its  divine  power  upon  me,  and 
draws  me  with  irresistible  force  to  cry :  Lord,  even 
as  Thou  hast  done,  so  will  I  do  also. 

The  power  of  an  example  depends  chiefly  on  two 
things.  The  one  is  the  attractiveness  of  what  it 
gives  us  to  see,  the  other  the  personal  relation 
and  influence  of  him  in  whom  it  is  seen.  In 
both  aspects,  what  power  there  is  in  our  Lord's 
example ! 

Or,  is  there  really  anything  very  attractive  in 
our  Lord's  example  ?  I  ask  it  in  all  earnest, 
because,  to  judge  by  the  conduct  of  many  of  His 
disciples,  it  would  really  seem  as  if  it  were  not  so. 
0  that  the  Spirit  of   God  would  open  our  eyes  to 


F|:: 


L'-t 


^"1 


20 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


see  the  heavenly  beauty  of  the  likeness  of  the 
only-begotten  Son! 

We  know  who  the  Lord  Jesus  is.  He  is  the 
Son  of  the  all-glorious  God,  one  with  the  Father 
in  nature  and  glory  and  perfection.  When  He  had 
been  on  earth  it  could  be  said  of  Him,  *  We  show 
you  that  eternal  life  which  was  with  the  Father, 
and  was  manifested  unto  us.*  In  Him  we  see  God. 
In  Him  we  see  how  God  would  act  were  He  here 
in  our  place  on  earth.  In  Him  all  that  is  beautiful 
and  lovely  and  perfect  in  the  heavenly  world  is 
revealed  to  us  in  the  form  of  an  earthly  life.  If 
we  want  to  see  what  is  really  counted  noble  and 
glorious  in  the  heavenly  world,  if  we  would  see 
what  is  really  Divine,  we  have  only  to  look  at 
Jesus ;  in  all  He  does  the  glory  of  God  is  shown 
forth. 

But  oh,  the  blindness  of  God's  children :  this 
heavenly  beauty  has  to  many  of  them  no  attraction  ; 
there  is  no  form  or  comeliness  that  they  should 
desire  it. 

The  manners  and  the  way  of  living  in  the  court 
of  an  earthly  king  exercise  influence  throughout 
the  empire.  The  example  it  gives  is  imitated  by 
all  who  belong  to  the  nobility  or  the  higher  classes. 
But  the  example  of  the  King  of  heaven,  who  came 
and  dwelt  in  the  flesh,  that  we  might  see  how  we 
might  here  on  earth  live  a  God-lik<^  life,  alas ! 
with  how  few  of  His  followers  does  it  really  find 
imitation.  When  we  look  upon  Jesus,  His 
obedience  to  the  will  of  the  Father,  His  humilia- 


M 


UE  HIMSELF  CALLS  US  TO  IT. 


21 


tion  to  be  a  servant  of  the  most  unworthy,  His 
love  as  manifested  in  the  entire  ^'i^ing  up  and 
sacrifice  of  Himself,  we  see  the  most  wondrous 
and  glorious  thing  heaven  has  to  show ;  in  heaven 
it«elf  we  shall  see  nothing  greater  or  brighter. 
Surely  such  an  example,  given  of  God  on  very 
purpose  to  make  the  imitatio!i  attractive  and 
possible,  ought  to  win  us.  Is  it  not  enough  to  stir 
all  that  is  within  us  with  a  holy  jealousy  and  with 
joy  unutterable  as  we  hear  the  message,  '  I  have 
given  you  an  example,  that  even  as  I  have  done,  ye 
should  also  do  *  ? 

This  is  not  all.  The  power  of  an  example 
consists  not  only  in  its  own  intrinsic  excellence, 
but  also  in  tlie  personal  relation  to  him  who  gives 
it.  Jesus  had  not  washed  the  feet  of  others  in 
presence  of  His  disciples ;  it  was  when  He  had 
washed  their  feet  that  He  said :  '  Even  as  I  have 
done  to  you,  ye  should  also  do.'  It  is  the  conscious- 
ness of  a  personal  relatiousliip  to  Christ  that 
enforces  the  command :  Do  as  I  have  done.  It  is 
the  experience  of  what  Jesus  has  done  to  me  that 
is  the  strength  in  which  I  can  go  and  do  the  same 
to  others.  He  does  not  ask  that  I  shall  do  more 
than  has  been  done  to  me.  But  not  less  either  : 
Even  as  I  have  done  to  you.  He  does  not  ask  that 
I  sliall  humble  n»yself  as  servant  deeper  than  He 
has  done.  It  would  not  have  been  strange  if  He 
had  asked  this  of  such  a  worm.  But  this  is  not 
His  wish :  He  only  demands  that  I  shall  just  do 
and  be  what  He,  the  King,  has  done  and  been.     He 


i 


22 


LIKK  CHRIST  : 


humbled  Himself  as  low  as  Immiliation  could  go, 
to  love  and  to  l)less  me.  He  counted  this  Hk 
highest  honour  and  hkssedncss.  And  now  He  invites 
me  to  partake  of  the  same  honour  and  blessedness, 
in  loving  and  serving  as  He  did.  Truly,  if  I 
indeed  know  the  love  that  rests  on  me,  and  the 
humiliation  through  which  alone  that  love  could 
reach  me,  and  the  power  of  the  cleansing  which 
has  washed  me,  nothing  can  keep  me  back  from 
saying :  '  Yes,  blessed  Lord,  even  as  Thou  hast  done 
to  me,  I  will  also  do.*  Tho  heavenly  loveliness  of 
the  great  Example,  and  the  Divine  lovingness  of 
the  great  Exemplar,  combine  to  make  the  example 
above  everything  attractive. 

Only  there  is  one  thing  I  must  not  forget.  It  is 
not  the  remembrance  of  what  Jesus  has  once  done 
to  me,  but  the  living  experience  of  what  He  is  now 
to  me,  that  will  give  me  the  power  to  act  like  Him. 
His  love  must  be  a  present  reality,  the  inflowing  of 
a  life  and  a  power  in  which  I  can  love  like  Him. 
It  is  only  as  by  the  Holy  Spirit  I  realize  what  Jesus 
is  doing  for  me,  and  how  He  does  it,  and  that  it  is 
He  who  does  it,  that  it  is  possible  for  me  to  do  to 
others  what  He  is  doing  to  me. 

'Even  as  I  have  done  to  you,  do  ye  also!' 
"What  a  j^ecious  word  !  What  a  glorious  prospect ! 
Jesus  is  going  to  show  forth  in  me  the  Divine 
power  of  His  love,  that  I  may  show  it  forth  to 
others.  He  blesses  me,  that  I  may  bless  others. 
He  loves  me  that  I  may  love  others.  He  becomes 
servant  to  me  that   I    may  become  a   servant  to 


HE  HIMSELF. CALLS  US  TO  IT. 


2;^ 


others.  ITe  saves  and  cleanses  mo  that  I  may  save 
and  cleanse  others.  He  gives  Himself  wholly  for 
and  to  me,  that  I  may  wholly  give  myself  for  and 
to  otliers.     I  have  only  to  be  doing  over  to  others 


wliut  He  is  doing  to  me- 


-nothing  more. 


I  can  do 


it,  just  because  He  is  doing  it  to  me.  What  I  do 
is  notliing  but  the  repeating,  the  showing  forth  of 
wliat  I  am  receiving  from  Him.* 

Wondrous  gir  ^3!  which  thus  calls  us  to  be  like 
our  Lord  in  th  .  which  constitutes  His  highest 
glory.  Wondrous  grace !  which  fits  us  for  this 
tailing  by  Himself  first  being  to  us  and  in  us 
what  we  are  to  be  to  others.  Shall  not  our  whole 
heart  joyously  respond  to  Hia  command  ?  Yes, 
blessed  Lord !  even  as  Thou  doest  to  me  will  I  also 
do  to  others. 


Gracious  Lord !  what  can  I  now  do  but  praise 
and  pray  ?  My  heart  feels  overwhelmed  with  this 
wondrous  offer,  tliat  Thou  wilt  reveal  all  Thy  love 
and  power  in  me,  if  I  will  yield  myself  to  let  it 
flow  through  me  to  others.  Though  with  fear  and 
trembling,  yet  in  deep  and  grateful  adoration,  with 
joy  and  confidence,  I  would  accept  the  offer  and 
say :  Here  I  am ;  show  me  how  much  Thou  lovest 
me,  and  I  will  show  it  to  others  by  loving  them 
even  so. 


1  S-  J 

If 


*  How  beautifully  the  principle  is  expressed  in  the  words  of 
Moses  to  Hobab  (Num.  x.  32),  'And  it  shall  be,  if  thou  go  with 
us,  yea,  if  thou  go  with  us,  that  what  goodne««  tlie  Lord  shall  do 
uitto  us,  the  same  will  we  do  uuto  thee '  1 


ar"^««>i 


24 


LIKE  CliRIST: 


|lf 


And  that  I  may  be  able  to  do  tliis,  blessed  Loid, 
grant  me  these  two  things.  Grant  me,  by  Thy 
Holy  Spirit,  a  clear  insight  into  Thy  love  to  me, 
that  I  may  know  how  Thou  lovest  me,  how  Thy 
love  to  me  is  Thy  delight  and  blessedness,  how  in 
that  love  Thou  givest  Thyself  so  eompleloly  to  me, 
that  Thou  art  indeed  mine  to  do  for  me  all  I  need. 
Grant  this.  Lord,  and  I  shall  know  how  to  love 
and  how  to  live  for  others,  even  as  Thou  lovest  and 
livest  for  me. 

And  then  grant  me  to  see,  as  often  as  I  feel  how 
little  love  I  have,  that  it  is  not  with  the  love  of 
my  little  heart,  but  with  Thy  love  shed  abroad  in 
me,  that  I  have  to  fulfil  the  command  of  loving  like 
Thee.  Am  I  not  Thy  branch,  0  my  heavenly 
Vine  ?  it  is  the  fulness  of  Thy  life  and  love  that 
ilows  through  me  in  love  and  blessing  to  those 
around.  It  is  Thy  Spirit  that,  at  the  same  moment, 
reveals  what  Thou  art  to  me,  and  strengthens  me 
for  what  I  am  to  be  to  others  in  Thy  name.  In 
this  faith  I  dare  to  sny,  Amen,  Lord,  even  as  Thou 
doest  to  me,  I  also  do.     Yea,  Amen. 


I 


AS  0N£  THAT  SEKVETH. 


25 


Third  Day. 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


eel  how 
love  of 
)road  in 
ring  like 
leaveuly 
ve  that 
io  those 
loment, 
iiens  me 
ne.     In 
as  Thou 


Ss  one  t!)at  seibetlj. 

*Tf  I  then,  your  Lord  and  Master,  have  washed  your  feet,  ye 
also  ought  to  wash  one  another's  I'eet.* — John  xiii.  14. 
*  I  am  among  you  as  he  that  servuth.' — Luke  xxii.  27. 

YESTERDAY  we  thought  of  the  right  that  the 
Lord  has  to  demand  and  expect  that  His 
redeemed  ones  should  follow  His  example.  To- 
day we  will  more  specially  consider  in  what  it  is 
we  have  to  follow  Him. 

*  Ye  also  ought  to  wash  one  another's  feet,'  is  the 
word  of  which  we  want  to  understand  the  full 
meaning.  The  form  of  a  servant  in  which  we  see 
Him,  the  ckansiufj  which  was  the  oV)ject  of  that 
service,  the  love  which  was  its  motive  power, — these 
are  the  three  chief  thoughts. 

First,  the  form  of  a  servant.  All  was  ready  for 
the  last  supper,  to  the  very  water  to  wash  the  feet 
of  the  guests,  according  to  custom.  But  there  was 
no  slave  to  do  the  work.  Each  one  waits  for  the 
other :  none  of  the  twelve  thinks  of  hmnblin"  him- 
self  to  do  the  work.  P^ven  at  the  table  they  were 
full  of  the  thought,  who  should  be  greatest  in  the 


Ml 


26 


LIKK  ciinisT : 


kingdom  they  were  expecting  (Luke  xxii.  26,  27). 
All  at  once  Jesus  rises  (they  were  still  reclining 
at  the  table),  lays  aside  Ilis  garments,  girds  Himself 
with  a  towel,  and  begins  to  wash  their  feet.  0 
wondrous  spectacle  !  on  which  angels  gazed  with 
adoring  wonder.  Cliiist,  the  Creator  and  King 
of  the  universe,  at  whose  beck  legions  of  angels 
are  ready  to  serve  Him,  who  might  with  one  word 
of  love  have  said  which  one  of  the  twcdve  must  do 
the  work, — Christ  chooses  the  slave's  place  for  His 
own,  takes  the  soiled  feet  in  His  own  holy  hands, 
and  washes  them.  He  does  it  in  full  con.^ciousness 
of  His  divine  glory,  for  John  says,  '  Jesus  knowing 
that  the  Father  had  given  all  things  into  His  hands, 
and  that  He  was  come  from  God  and  went  to  God, 
rose.'  For  the  hands  into  which  God  had  given 
all  things,  nothing  is  common  or  unclean.  The 
meanness  of  a  work  never  lowers  the  person ;  the 
person  honours  and  elevates  the  work,  and  imparts 
his  own  worth  even  to  the  meanest  service.  In 
such  deep  humiliation,  as  we  men  call  it,  our  Lord 
finds  divine  glory,  and  is  in  this  the  Leader  of  His 
Church  in  the  path  of  true  blessedness.  It  is  as 
the  Son  tliat  He  is  the  servant.  Just  because  He 
is  the  beloved  of  His  Father,  in  whose  hands  all 
things  are  given,  it  is  not  difficult  for  Him  to  stoop 
so  low.  In  thus  taking  the  form  of  a  seiAant,  Jesus 
proclaims  the  law  of  rank  in  the  Church  of  Christ. 
The  higher  one  wishes  to  stand  in  grace,  the  more 
it  must  be  his  joy  to  be  servant  of  all.  '  Whosoever 
will  be  chief  among  you,  let  him  be  your  servant  * 


AS  ONE  THAT  SEKVKTII. 


27 


26,  21).      I 
reclining      f 
s  Himself 
feet.     0 
ized  with 
md    King 
of  angels 
one  word 
e  must  do 
,ce  for  His 
loly  hands, 
iS'cioMsness 
IS  knowing 
His  hands, 
nt  to  God, 
had  given 
lean.     The 
erson ;  the 
id  imparts 
srvice.     In 
,,  our  Lord 
ider  of  His 
It  is  as 
lecause  He 
hands  all 
ni  to  stoop 
\'ant,  Jesus 
of  Christ. 
i,  the  more 
IWhosoever 
r  servant  * 


(Matt.  XX.  27);  'He  that  is  greatest  among  you 
shall  be  your  servant'  (Matt,  xxiii.  11).  The 
higher  I  rise  in  the  consciousness  of  being  like 
Christ,  God's  beloved  child,  the  deeper  shall  I  stoop 
to  serve  all  around  me. 

A  servant  is  one  who  is  always  caring  for  the  work 

and  interest  of  his  master,  is  ever  ready  to  let  his 

master  see  that  he  only  seeks  to  do  what  will  please  or 

profit  him.     Thus  Jesus  lived  :  '  Foi-  even  the  Son  of 

man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister, 

and  to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  many  '  (Mark  x.  45) ; 

I  *  I  am    among  you  as  he  that  serveth.'     Thus    I 

must  live,  moving  about  among  God's  children  as 

jthe  servant  of  all.     If  I    seek  to  bless  others,  it 

[must  be  in  the  humble,  loving  readiness  with  which 

1 1  serve  them,  not  caring    for  my  own  honour  or 

[interest,  if  I  can  but   be  a   blessing  to  them.      I 

[must  follow  Christ's  example  in  washing  the  dis- 

;ciples'  feet.     A  servant  counts  it  no  humiliation, 

land  is  not  ashamed  of  being  counted  an  inferior; 

|it  is   his   place    and  work  to    serve   others.     The 

reason  why  we  so  often  do  not  bless  others  is  that 

Jwe  wish  to  address  them  as  their  superiors  in  grace 

?or  gifts,  or  at  least  their  equals.     If  we  first  learnt 

from   our    Lord   to    associate   with   others    in    the 

.blessed  spirit  of  a  servant,  what  a  blessing  we  should 

I  become  to  the  world !     When  once  this  example  is 

1  admitted  to  the  place  it  ought  to  have  in  the  Church 

[of  Christ,  the  power  of  His  presence  would  soon 

Imake  itself  felt. 

And  what  is  now  the  work  the  disciple  has  to 


m 


r  1 


a 


i  .xiii 


ii 


ma 


i 


28 


LIKE  ciirasT : 


;  trform  in  this  spirit  of  lowly  service  ?  The  foot- 
washing  speaks  of  a  double  work — the  one,  for  the 
cleansing  and  refreshing  of  the  body ;  the  other,  the 
cleansing  and  saving  of  the  soul.  During  the  whole 
of  our  Lord's  life  upon  earth  these  two  things  were 
ever  united  :  '  The  sick  were  healed,  to  the  poor 
the  gospel  was  preacheil.'  As  with  the  paralytic, 
so  with  many  others,  blessing  to  the  body  was  the 
type  and  promise  of  life  to  the  spirit. 

The  follower  of  Jesus  may  not  lose  sight  of  this 
when  he  receives  the  command,  '  Ye  ought  also  to 
wash  one  another's  feet.'  liemembering  that  the 
external  and  bodily  is  the  gate  to  the  inner  and 
spiritual  life,  he  makes  the  salvation  of  tlie  soul  the 
first  object  in  his  holy  ministry  of  love,  at  the  same 
time,  however,  seeking  the  way  to  the  hearts  by  the 
ready  service  of  love  in  the  little  and  common  things 
of  daily  life.  It  is  not  by  reproof  and  censure  that 
he  shows  that  he  is  a  servant ;  no,  but  by  the 
friendliness  and  kindliness  with  which  he  proves 
in  daily  intercour.-e  that  he  always  thinks  how  he 
can  Iielp  or  serve,  he  becomes  the  living  witness 
of  what  it  is  to  be  a  follower  of  Jesus.  From  such 
a  one  the  word  when  spoken  comes  with  power, 
suid  finds  easy  entrance.  And  then,  when  he 
comes  into  contact  with  the  sin  and  perverseness 
and  contradiction  of  men,  instead  of  being  dis- 
couraged, he  perseveres  as  he  thinks  with  how 
much  patience  Jesus  has  borne  with  him,  and  still 
daily  cleanses  him ;  he  realizes  himself  to  be  one 
of  God's  appointed  servants,  to  stoop  to  the  lowest 


ii 

•  •  ULUL 


n 


AS  ONE  THAT  SERVETH. 


29 


The  foot- 
e,  for  the 
other,  the 
the  whole 
ings  were 
the  poor 
paralytic, 
y  was  the 

;ht  of  this 
;ht  also  to 
;  that  the 
inner  and 
le  soul  the 
b  the  same 
irts  by  the 
non  things 
nsure  that 
it  by  the 
he  proves 
s  how  he 
witness 
rom  such 
th  power, 
when    he 
Irverseness 
l   dis- 
Iwith  how 
and  still 
I  to  be  one 
the  lowest 


}S 


depth  to  serve  and  save  men,  even  to  bow  at  the 
feet  of  others  if  this  be  needed. 

The  spirit  which  will  enable  one  to  live  such  a 
life  of  loving  service,  ca^i  be  learned  from  Jesus 
jal'ino.  Jolin  writes,  '  Having  loved  His  own  which 
were  in  the  world,  He  loved  them  to  the  end' 
(John  xiii.  1).  For  love  nothing  is  too  hard.  Love 
[never  speaks  of  sacrifice.  To  bless  the  loved  one, 
[however  unworthy,  it  willingly  gives  up  all.  It  was 
flove  made  Jesus  a  servant.  It  is  love  alone  will 
[make  the  servant's  place  an^^   vork  such  blessedness 

us,  that  we  "hall  persevere  in  it  at  all  costs.  We 
|may  perhaps,  like  Jesus,  have  to  wash  the  feet  of 
Isome  Judas  who  rewards  us  with  ingratitude  and 
[betrayal.  We  shall  probably  meet  many  a  Peter, 
[who  first,  with  his  '  Never  my  feet '  refuses,  and 
[then  is  dissatisfied  when  we  do  not  comply  with 
[his  impatient  '  Not  only  the  feet,  but  also  the  head 
fand  the  hands.'  Only  love,  a  heavenly  unquench- 
iable  love,  gives  the  patience,  the  courage,  and  the 
[wisdom  for  this  great  work  the  Lord  has  set  before  us 
[in  His  holy  example  :  '  Wash  ye  one  another's  feet' 

Try  above  all  to  understand  that  it  is  only  as  a 

[son  you  can  be  truly  a  servant.     It  was  as  the  Son 

[Christ  took  the  form  of  a  servant :  in  this  you  will 

[find  the   secret  of  willing,  happy   service.     Walk 

among  men  as  a  Son  of  the  Most  High  God.     A  Son 

of   God   is  only  in  the   world  to  show    forth  His 

[Father's  glory,  to    prove  how   God-like    and    how 

blessed  it  is  to  live  only  and  at  any  cost  to  find  a 

wav  for  love  to  the  hearts  of  the  lost. 


.    i;    tVfl 


30 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


0  my  soul,  thy  love  cannot  attain  to  this ; 
therefore  listen  to  Him  who  says,  '  Abide  in  my 
love*  Our  one  desire  must  be  that  He  may  show 
us  how  He  loves  us,  and  that  He  Himself  may 
keep  us  abiding  in  *  His  love!  Live  every  day, 
as  the  beloved  of  the  Lord,  in  the  experience  that 
His  love  washes  and  cleanses,  bears  and  blesses  you 
all  the  day  long.  This  love  of  His  flowing  into 
you,  will  flow  out  again  from  you,  and  make  it 
your  greatest  joy  to  follow  His  example  in  washing 
the  feet  of  others.  Do  not  complain  much  of  the 
want  of  love  and  humility  in  others,  but  pray 
much  that  the  Lord  would  awaken  His  people  to 
their  calling,  truly  so  to  follow  in  His  footsteps 
that  the  world  may  see  that  they  have  taken  Him 
for  their  example.  And  if  you  do  not  see  it  as 
soon  as  you  wish  in  those  around  you,  let  it  only 
urge  you  to  more  earnest  prayer,  that  in  you  at 
least  the  Lord  may  have  one  who  understands  and 
proves  that  to  love  and  serve  like  Jesus  is  the 
highest  blessedness  and  joy,  as  well  as  the  way, 
like  Jesus,  to  be  a  blessing  and  a  joy  to  others. 


My  Lord,  I  give  myself  to  Thee,  to  live  thisi 
blessed  life  of  service.  In  Thee  I  have  seen  it, 
the  spirit  of  a  servant  is  a  kingly  spirit,  come  from 
heaven  and  lifting  up  to  heaven,  yea,  the  Spirit  of 
God's  own  Son.  Thou  everlasting  Love,  dwell  inj 
me,  and  my  life  shall  be  like  Thine,  and  the  lan- 
guage of  my  life  to  others  as  Thine,  *  I  am  in  the  j 
midst  of  you  as  he  that  serveth.' 


AS  ONE  THAT  SERVETH. 


01 
oL 


a  to  this ; 
bide  ill  my 
i  may  show 
imself  may 

every  day, 
erience  that 

blesses  you 
lowing  into 
id  make  it 

in  washing 
Quch  of  the 
},  but  pray 
s  people  to 
is   footsteps 

taken  Hi  in 
jt  see  it  as 

let  it  only 

in  you  at 

srstands  and 

esus  is  the 
IS  the  way, 

others. 

to  live  this 
ave  seen  it, 
,  come  from, 
he  Spirit  of 
ve,  dwell  in] 
nd  the  Ian- 
am  in  the! 


0  Tliou  glorified  Son  of  God,  Thou  knowest  how 
ittle  of  Thy  Spirit  dwells  in  us,  how  this  life  of  a 

rvant  is  opposed  to  all  that  the  world  reckons 
onourable  or  proper.  But  Thou  hast  come  to 
each  us  new  lessons  of  what  is  right,  to  show  us 
,vhat  is  thouglit  in  heaven  of  tlie  glory  of  being  the 
east,  of  the  blessedness  of  serving.  O  Thou,  who 
lost  not  only  give  new  thoughts  but  implant  new 
eeiings,  give  me  a  heart  like  Thine,  a  heart  full  of 
he  Holy  Spirit,  a  heart  that  can  love  as  Thou  dost. 
Lore\  Thy  Holy  Spirit  dwells  within  me ;  Thy 
ulness  is  my  inheritance ;  in  the  joy  of  the  Holy 
pirit  I  can  be  as  Thou  art.     I  do  yield  myself  to 

life  of  service  like  Thine.  Let  the  same  mind  be 
Ml  me  which  was  also  in  Thee,  when  Thou  didst 

ake  Thyself  of  no  reputation,  and  didst  take  upon 

hee  the  form  of    a    servant,  and  being  found  in 

ashion    as    a    man,  didst    humble    Thyself.     Yea, 

ord,  that  very  same  mind  be  in  me  too  by  Thy 

race.     As  a  son  of  God  let  me  be  the  servant  of 

en.     Ameu. 


i!;;- 


\  .J 


1*1  i 


32 


LIKE  CHRIST 


Fourth   Day. 


LIKE    CHKIST: 

*For  even  hereunto  were  ye  called;  1)ecanBe  Christ  also 
suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an  example,  that  ye  should  follow  His 
steps :  who  His  own  self  hare  our  sins  in  His  own  body  on  the 
tree,  that  we,  being  dead  to  sins,  should  live  unto  righteous* 
neas.— 1  Pbt.  ii.  21. 

rpHE  call  to  follow  Christ's  example,  and  to  walk 
•^  in  His  footsteps,  is  so  high  that  there  is  every 
reason  to  ask  with  wonder,  How  can  it  be  expected 
of  sinful  men  that  they  should  walk  like  the  Son 
of  God  ?  The  answer  that  most  people  give  is 
practically,  that  it  cannot  really  be  expected :  the 
command  sets  before  us  an  ideal,  beautiful  but 
unattainable/ 

The  answer  Scripture  gives  is  different.  It  points 
us  to  the  wonderful  relationship  in  which  we  stand 
to  Christ.  Because  our  union  to  Him  sets  in  opera- 
tion within  us  a  heavenly  life  with  all  its  powers, 
therefore  the  claim  may  be  made  in  downright 
earnest  that  we  should  live  as  Christ  did.  The 
realization  of  this  relationship  between  Christ  and 

i  See  note. 


OUR  HEAD. 


ds 


[is  people  is  necessary  for  every  one  who   is  in 
jarnest  in  following  Christ's  example. 

And  what  is  now  this  relationship  ?  It  is  three- 
[fold.  Peter  speaks  in  this  passage  of  Christ  as 
[our  Surety,  our  Example,  and  our  Head. 

Christ  is  our  Surety.     '  Christ  suffered  for  us,' — 

Who  His  own  self  bare  our  sins  in  His  own  body 

[on  the  tree.'     As  Surety,  Christ  suffered  and  died 

[in  our  stead.     He  bore  our  sin,  and  broke  at  once 

its  curse  and  power.     As  Surety,  He  did  what  we 

[could  not  do,  what  we  now  need  not  do. 

Christ  is  also  our  Example  too.  In  one  sense 
|His  work  is  unique ;  in  another  we  have  to  follow 
[im  in  it ;  we  must  do  as  He  did,  live  and  suffer 
like  Him.  '  Christ  suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an 
Example  *  that  we  should  follow  in  His  footsteps. 
[is  suffering  as  my  Surety  calls  me  to  a  suffering 
like  His  as  my  Example.  But  is  this  reasonable  ? 
pn  His  suffering  as  Surety  He  had  the  power  of 
the  Divine  nature,  and  how  can  I  be  expected  in 
the  weakness  of  the  flesh  to  suffer  as  He  did  ?  Is 
there  not  an  impassable  gulf  between  these  two 
things  which  Peter  unites  so  closely,  the  suffering 
as  Surety  and  the  suffering  as  Example  ?  No,  there 
is  a  blessed  third  aspect  of  Christ's  work,  which 
bridges  that  gulf,  which  is  the  connecting  link 
between  Christ  as  Surety  and  Christ  as  Example, 
which  makes  it  possible  for  us  in  very  deed  to  take 
the  Surety  as  Example,  and  live  and  suffer  and 
die  like  Him. 

Christ  is  also  our  ffeud.    In  this  His  Suretyship 

0 


n 


H 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


II 


and  His  Example  have  their  root  and  unity. 
Christ  is  the  second  Adam.  As  a  believer  I  am 
spiritually  one  with  Him.  In  this  union  He  lives 
in  me,  and  imparts  to  me  the  power  of  His  finished 
work,  the  power  of  His  sufferings  and  death  and 
resurrection.  It  is  on  this  ground  we  are  taught 
in  Eomans  vi.  and  elsewhere  that  the  Christian  is 
indeed  dead  to  sin  and  alive  to  God.  The  very  life 
that  Christ  lives,  the  life  that  passed  through  death, 
and  the  power  of  that  death,  work  in  the  believer, 
so  that  he  is  dead,  and  has  risen  again  with  Christ. 
It  is  this  thought  Peter  gives  utterance  to  when  he 
says :  'Who  His  own  self  bore  our  sins  upon  the  tree,' 
not  alone  that  we  through  His  death  might  receive 
forgiveness,  but  *  that  we,  being  dead  to  sins,  should 
live  unto  righteousness.'  As  we  have  part  in  the 
spiritual  death  of  the  first  Adam,  having  really  died 
to  God  in  him,  so  wc  have  part  in  the  second 
Adam,  having  really  died  to  sin  in  Him,  and  in 
Him  being  made  alive  again  to  God.  Christ  is  not 
only  our  Surety  who  lived  and  died  for  us,  our 
Example  who  showed  us  how  to  live  and  die,  but 
also  our  Head,  with  whom  we  are  one,  in  whose 
death  we  have  died,  with  whose  life  we  now  live. 
This  gives  us  the  power  to  follow  our  Surety  as 
our  Example :  Christ  being  our  Head  is  the  bond 
that  makes  the  believing  on  the  Surety  and  the 
following  of  the  Exnmple  inseparably  one. 

These  three  are  one.  The  three  truths  may  not 
be  separated  from  each  other.  And  yet  this 
happens  but  too  often.     There  are  some  who  wish 


OUR  HEAD. 


follow  Christ's  Example  without  faith  in  His 
itonement.     They  seek  within  themselves  the  power 
live   like   Him:    their   efforts   must   be   vain, 
lere  are  others  who  hold  fast  to  the  Suretyship 
)ut  neglect  the  Example.     They  believe  in  redemp- 
tion through  the  blood  of  the  cross,  but  neglect  the 
footsteps  of  Him  who  bore  it.     Faith  in  the  atone- 
lent  is  indeed  the  foundation  of  the  building,  but  it 
not  all.     Theirs  too  is  a  deficient  Christianity, 
[with  no  true  view  of  sanctification,  because   they 
[do  not  see  how,  along  with  faith  on  Christ's  atone- 
Iment,    following    His   Example    is   indispensably 
[necessary. 

There  are  still  others  who  have  received  these  two 
truths, — Christ  as  Surety  and  Christ  as  Example, — 
lud  yet  want  something.  They  feel  constrained  to 
j^oliow  Christ  as  Example  in  what  He  did  as  Surety, 
iut  want  the  power.  They  do  not  rightly  under- 
itand  how  this  following  His  Example  can  really  be 
[attained.  "What  they  need  is,  the  clear  insight 
(as  to  what  Scripture  teaches  of  Christ  as  Head. 
Because  the  Surety  is  not  some  one  outside  of  me, 
but  One  in  whom  I  am,  and  who  is  in  me,  therefore 
it  is  that  I  can  become  like  Him.  His  very  life 
lives  in  me.  He  lives  Himself  in  me,  whom  He 
bought  with  His  blood.  To  follow  His  footsteps  is 
a  duty,  because  it  is  a  possibility,  the  natural  result 
of  the  wonderful  union  between  Head  and  members. 
It  is  only  when  this  is  understood  aright  that  the 
blessed  truth  of  Christ's  Example  will  take  its  right 
place.     If  Jesus  Himself  through  His  life  union 


n 


86 


LIKE  CilUIST: 


will  work  in  me  the  life  likeness,  then  my  duty 
becomes  plain,  but  glorious.  I  have,  on  the  one 
side,  to  gaze  on  His  Example  so  as  to  know  and 
follow  it.  On  the  other,  to  abide  in  Him,  and  open 
my  heart  to  the  blessed  workings  of  His  life  in  me. 
As  siirely  as  He  conquered  sin  and  its  curse  for  me, 
will  He  conquer  it  in  its  power  in  me.  Wiiat  He 
began  by  His  death  for  me.  He  will  perfect  by  His 
life  in  me.  Because  my  Surety  is  also  my  Head, 
His  Example  must  and  will  be  the  rule  of  my  life. 
There  is  a  saying  of  Augustine  that  is  often 
quoted :  '  Lord !  give  what  Thou  commandest,  and 
command  what  Thou  wilt.'  This  holds  good  here. 
If  the  Lord,  who  lives  in  me,  gives  what  He  requires 
of  me,  then  no  requirement  can  be  too  high.  Then 
I  have  the  courage  to  gaze  upon  His  holy  Example 
in  all  its  height  and  breadth,  and  to  accept  of  it  as 
the  law  of  my  conduct.  It  is  no  longer  merely  a 
command  telling  what  I  must  be,  but  a  promise  of 
what  I  shall  be.  There  is  nothing  that  weakens 
the  power  of  Christ's  Example  so  much  as  the 
thought  that  we  cannot  really  walk  like  Him.  Do 
not  listen  to  such  thoughts.  The  perfect  likeness 
in  heaven  is  begun  on  eurtli,  cm  grow  with  each 
day,  and  become  more  visilne  as  life  goes  on.  As 
certain  and  mighty  as  the  work  of  surety  which 
Uhrist,  your  Head,  completed  once  for  all,  is  the 
renewal  after  His  own  •  Image,  which  He  is  still 
working  out.  Let  this  double  blessing  make  the 
cross  doubly  precious :  Our  Head  suffered  as  a 
Surety,  that  in  union  with  us  He  might  bear  sin  for 


,y■ft!^^^  „jiijt{tmummn 


•Wg? 


OUR  HEAD. 


87 


IS.  Our  ITcad  suffered  as  an  Example,  that  He 
liii<,'ht  show  us  what  the  path  h  in  which,  in  union 
[with  Himself,  He  would  lead  Uo  to  victory  and  to 
rlory.  The  suffering  Christ  is  our  Head,  our  Surety, 
md  our  Example. 

And  so  tlie  great  lesson  I  have  to  learn  is  the 
wonderful  truth  that  it  is  just  in  tha^  mysterious 
)ath  of  suli'ering,  in  which  He  wrought  out  our 
[atonement  and  redemption,  tliat  we  are  to  follow 
'His  footsteps,  and  that  the  full  experience  of  that 
[redemption  depends  upon  the  personal  fellowship  in 
[that  suffering.  'Christ  suH'ered/or  ws,  leaving  us 
I  an  Example.'  May  the  Holy  Spirit  reveal  to  me 
iwhat  this  means. 


Precious  Saviour !  how  shall  I  thank  Thee  for 
.the  work  tliat  Thou  hast  done  as  Surety  ?  Standing 
in  .he  place  of  me  a  guilty  sinner,  Thou  hast  borne 
my  sins  in  Thy  body  on  the  cross.  That  cross  was 
my  due.  Tliou  didst  take  it,  and  wast  made  like 
unto  me,  that  thus  the  cross  might  be  changed  into 
a  place  of  blessing  and  life. 

And  now  Thou  callest  me  to  the  place  of  cruci- 
fixion as  the  place  of  blessing  and  life,  where  I 
may  be  made  like  Tliee,  and  may  find  in  Thee 
power  to  suffer  and  to  cease  from  sin.  As  njy 
Head,  Thou  wert  my  Surety  to  suffer  and  die  with 
me;  as  my  Head,  Thou  art  my  Example  that  I 
might  suffer  and  die  with  Thee. 

Precious  Saviour !  I  confess  that  I  have  too  little 
understood  this.     Thy  Suretyship  was  more  to  me 


I 


m 


'■  '■  i; 


;;;,# 


r 


I 


H'' 


86 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


than  Thy  Example.  I  rejoiced  much  that  Thou 
hadst  borne  the  cross  for  me,  but  too  little  that  I 
like  Thee  and  with  Thee  might  also  bear  the  cross. 
The  atonement  of  the  cross  was  more  precious  to 
me  than  the  fellowship  of  the  cross ;  the  hope  in 
Thy  redemption  more  precious  than  the  personal 
fellowship  with  Thyself. 

Forgive  me  this,  dear  Lord,  and  teach  me  to  find 
my  happiness  in  union  with  Thee,  my  Head,  not 
more  in  Thy  Suretyship  than  in  thine  Example. 
And  grant,  that  in  my  meditations  as  to  how  I  am 
to  follow  Thee,  my  faith  may  become  stronger  and 
brighter :  Jesus  is  my  Example  because  He  is  my 
life.  I  must  and  can  be  like  Him,  because  I  am 
one  with  Him.  Grant  this,  my  blessed  Lord,  for 
Thy  love's  sake.     Amen. 


NOTE. 


'Thomas  k  Kempis  has  said,  ''All  men  wish  to  be 
with  Christ,  and  to  belong  to  His  people ;  but  few  are 
really  willing  to  lollow  the  life  of  Christ."  There  are 
many  who  imagine  that  to  imitate  Jesus  Christ  is  a 
specially  advanced  state  in  the  Christian  life,  to  which 
c  y  a  few  elect  can  attain ;  they  think  that  one  can  be 
a  ^"eal  Christian  if  he  only  confesses  his  weakness  and 
sin,  and  holdn  fast  to  the  Word  and  Sacrament,  mthmt 
attaining  any  real  conformity  to  the  life  of  Christ;  they  even 
count  it  pride  and  fanaticism  if  one  venture  to  say  that 
conformity  to  the  likeness  of  Jesus  Christ  is  an  indispensable 
sign  of  the  true  Christian.  And  yet  our  Lord  says  to  all 
without  exception :  "  He  that  doth  not  take  his  cross, 


OUR  HEAD. 


39 


and  follow  after  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me ; "  He  mentions 
expressly  the  most  difficult  thing  in  His  life---the  cross, 
that  which  includes  all  else.  And  Peter  writes  not  to 
Sfjme,  but  to  the  whole  Church :  Christ  hath  left  us  an 
Example  that  ye  should  follow  His  ft^otsteps.  It  is  a 
sad  sign  that  these  unmistakeable  commands  have  been 
so  darkened  in  our  modem  Christianity,  that  our  lead- 
ing ministers  and  church  members  have  quietly,  as  by 
common  consent,  agreed  to  rob  these  words  of  their 
st»ng.  A  false  dogmatic  must  bear  no  small  share  of 
the  blame.  To  defend  the  Divinity  of  our  Saviour 
against  unbelief,  men  have  presented  and  defended  His 
Divine  nature  with  such  exclusiveness,  that  it  became 
impossible  to  form  any  real  living  conception  of  His 
humanity.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  admit  that  Christ 
was  a  true  man  ;  no  one  can  form  any  true  idea  of  this 
humanity  who  is  ever  afraid  to  lose  the  true  Christ, 
if  he  does  not  every  moment  ascribe  to  Him  Divine 
power  and  omniscience.  For,  of  a  truth,  if  Christ's 
suffering  and  cross  be  only  and  altogether  something 
supernatural,  we  must  cease  to  speak  of  the  imitation  of 
Christ  in  any  true  or  real  sense  of  the  word.  Oh,  the 
gulf  of  separation  which  comes  between  the  life  of  Christ 
and  the  life  of  Cliristians,  when  the  i  elation  between 
them  is  only  an  external  one !  And  how  slow  and  sloth- 
ful the  Church  of  our  days  is  to  apply  the  great  and 
d'stinct  rule  so  clearly  laid  down  in  the  life  of  Christ, 
to  the  filling  of  these  gulfs  and  the  correcting  of  the 
disorders  of  our  modern  life.  The  Church  of  Christ  will 
not  be  brought  again  out  of  its  confusions  until  the  faith- 
ful actual  imitation  of  her  Lord  and  Head  again  become 
the  banner  round  which  she  rallies  His  disciples.'  ^ 

'  From  M.  Diemer,  Een  nieuw  boek  over  de  tiavolging  van  Jf.sit$ 
Chriatus  (A  new  book  ou  the  imitation  of  Jesus  Chml), 


1 

f 


t 

't 


.   'I 


40 


LIKE  CHKIbT 


Fifth    Day. 


LIKE  CHEIST: 

In  suffering  ©Srong* 

*For  this  is  thankworthy,  if  a  man  for  conscience  toward  God 
endure  grief,  suffering  wrongfully.  For  what  glory  is  it,  if,  when 
ye  be  buffeted  for  your  faults,  ye  shall  take  it  patiently  ?  but  if, 
when  ye  do  well,  and  suffer  for  it,  ye  take  it  patiently,  this  is 
acceptable  with  God.'— 1  Pet.  ii.  19,  20. 

TT  is  in  connection  with  a  very  everyday  matter 
-^  that  Peter  gave  utterance  to  those  weighty 
words  concerning  Christ  as  our  Surety  and  Example. 
He  is  writing  to  servants,  who  at  that  time  were 
mostly  slaves.  He  teaches  them  *to  be  subject 
with  all  fear,'  not  only  to  the  good  and  gentle,  but 
also  to  the  fro  ward.  For,  so  he  whites,  if  any  one 
do  wrong  and  be  punisiied  for  ii,  to  bear  it 
patiently  is  no  special  grace.  No;  but  if  one  do 
well,  and  suffer  for  it,  and  take  it  patiently,  this  is 
acceptable  with  God ;  such  bearing  of  wrong  is 
Christ-like.  In  bearing  our  sins  as  Surety,  Christ 
suffered  wrong  from  man ;  after  His  example  wo 
must  be  ready  to  suffer  wrongfully  too. 

There  is   almost   nothing  harder  to   bear    than 
injustice  from  our  fellow-men.     It  is  not  only  the 


IN  SUFFERING  WRONG. 


41 


ibss  of  pain  ;  there  is  the  feeling  of  humiliation 
Itfid  injustice,  and  the  consciousness  of  our  rights 
Bserts  itself.  In  what  our  fellow-creatures  do  to 
i,  it  is  not  easy  at  once  to  recognise  the  will  of 
)d,  who  thus  allows  us  to  be  tried,  to  see  if  we 
!ive  truly  taken  Christ  as  our  example.  Let  us 
idy  that  example.  From  Him  we  may  learn 
lat  it  was  that  gave  Him  the  power  to  bear 
Ijuries  patiently. 
Christ  believed  in  svffering  as  the  will  of  God. 
had  found  it  in  Scripture  that  the  servant  of 
xl  should  suffer.  He  had  made  Himself  familiar 
ith  the  thought,  so  that  when  sufl'ering  came,  it 
|id  not  take  Him  by  surprise.  He  expected  it. 
[e  knew  that  thus  He  must  be  perfected ;  and  so 
lis  tirst  thought  was  not  how  to  be  delivered  from 
b,  but  how  to  glorify  God  in  it.  This  enabled 
[im  to  bear  the  greatest  injustice  quietly.  He 
iw  (Jod's  hand  in  it. 

Christian  !  would  you  have  strength  to  suffer 
,Tong  in  the  spirit  in  which  Christ  did  ?  Accustom 
yourself  in  everything  that  happens,  to  recognise 
[the  hand  and  will  of  God.  This  lesson  is  of  more 
consequence  than  you  think.  Whether  it  be  some 
great  wrong  that  is  done  you,  or  some  little  offence 
that  you  meet  in  daily  life,  before  you  fix  your 
tlioughts  on  the  person  who  did  it,  first  be  still,  and 
remember,  God  allows  me  to  co7iie  into  this  trouble  to 
see  if  I  shall  glorify  Him  in  it.  This  trial,  be  it 
the  greatest  or  least,  is  allowed  by  God,  and  is  His 
will  concerning    me.     Let    me  first  recognise  and 


I   ■?„ 


rm 


m 


il 


IM 


Hi! 


4i2 


LIKE  CHitisr : 


submit  to  GocPs  wUl  in  it.  Then  in  the  rest  of 
soul  which  this  gives,  I  shall  receive  wisdom  to 
know  how  to  behave  in  it.  With  my  eye  turned 
from  man  to  God,  suffering  wrong  is  not  so  hard  as 
it  seems. 

Christ  also  believed  that  God  would  care  for  Hii 
rights  and  honour.  There  is  an  innate  sense  of 
right  within  us  that  comes  from  God.  But  he  who 
lives  in  the  visible,  wants  his  honour  to  be  vindicated 
at  once  here  below.  He  who  lives  in  the  eternal, 
and  as  seeing  the  Invisible,  is  satisfied  to  leave  the 
vindication  of  his  rights  and  honour  in  God's  hands ; 
he  knows  that  they  are  safe  with  Him.  It  was 
thus  with  the  Lord  Jesus.  Peter  writes,  *  He  com- 
mitted Himself  to  Him  that  judgeth  righteously.' 
It  was  a  settled  thing  between  the  Father  and  the 
Son,  that  the  Son  was  not  to  care  for  His  own 
honour,  but  only  for  the  Father's.  The  Father 
would  care  for  the  Son's  honour.  Let  the  Christian 
just  follow  Christ's  example  in  this,  it  will  give 
him  such  rest  and  peace.  Give  your  right  and 
your  honour  into  God's  keeping.  Meet  every 
offence  that  man  commits  against  you  with  the  firm 
trust  that  God  will  watch  over  and  care  for  you. 
Commit  it  to  Him  who  judgeth  righteously. 

Further,  Christ  believed  in  the  power  of  buffering  love. 
We  all  admit  that  there  is  no  power  like  that  of 
love.  Through  it  Christ  overcomes  the  enmity  of 
the  world.  Every  other  victory  gives  only  a  forced 
submission ;  love  alone  gives  the  true  victory  over 
an  enemy,  by  converting  him  into  a  friend.     We 


IN  SUFFEKING  WRONG. 


43 


in  the  rest  of 
ive  wisdom  toj 
ny  eye  turned 
not  so  hard  as 

d  care  for  Hii 

mate  sense  of 

But  he  who 

»  be  vindicated 

in  the  eternal, 

sd  to  leave  the 

1  God's  hands; 

Him.     It  was 

ites,  *  He  com- 

i  righteously.' 

ather  and  the 

for  His  own 

The   Father 

the  Christian 

it  will  give 

ur   right  and 

Meet    every 

with  the  firm 

care  for  you. 

►usly. 

buffering  love. 
like  that  of 
tie  enmity  of 
only  a  forced 
victory  over 
friend.     We 


acknowledge  the  truth  of   this  as  a  principle, 
It  we  shrink  from  the  application.     Christ  believed 
and  acted  accordingly.     He  said  too,  I  shall  have 
ty  revenge ;   but  His  revenge  was  that  of  love, 
inging  enemies  as  friends  to  His  feet.     He  believed 
lat  by  silence  and  submission,  and  suflfering  and 
jlearing  wrong,  He  would  win  the  cause,  because 
4|lus  love  would  have  its  triumph. 

And  this   is  what  He   desires  of   us  too.     In 

sinful  nature  there  is  more  faith  in  might  and 

fght  than  in  the  heavenly  power  of  love.     But  he 

rho  would  be  like  Christ  must  follow  Him  in  this 

Iso,  that  He  seeks  to  conquer  evil  with  good.     The 

ore  another  does  him  wrong,  tite  more  he  feels  called 

love  him.     Even  if  it  be  needful  for  the  public 

welfare  that  justice  should  punish  the  00'ender,  he 

ikes  care  that  there  be  in  it  nothing  of  personal 

}ling ;  as  far  as  he  is  concerned,  he  forgives  and 

)ves. 

Ah,  what  a  difference  it  would  make  in  Christen- 
lom  and  in  our  churches,  if  Christ's  example  were 
followed !  If  each  one  who  was  i«viled,  '  reviled 
lot  again ; '  if  each  one  who  suffered,  *  threatened 
[not,  but  committed  himself  to  Him  that  judgeth 
[righteously.'  Fellow- Christians,  this  is  literally 
what  the  Father  would  have  us  do.  Let  us  read 
and  read  again  the  words  of  Peter,  until  our  soul 
be  filled  with  the  thought,  '  If,  when  ye  do  well,  and 
suffer  for  it,  ye  take  it  patiently,  this  is  acceptable 
with  God,'  * 

*  3ce  note, 


nj 


m 


1 


i  ]'  ! 


I  1 


' 


1 1 


11! 


44 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


111  ordinary  Christian  life,  where  we  mostly  seel 
to  fulfil  our  calling  as  redeemed  ones  in  our  owi    - 
strength,  such  a  conformity  to  the  Lord's  image  i 
an  impossibility.     But  in  a  life  of  full  surrender,  1' 
where  we  have  given  all  into    His  hands,  in  the   ; 
faith  that  He  will  work  all  in  us,  there  the  glorious  ,J 
expectation  is  awakened,  that  the  imitation  of  Christ  *f 
in  this  is  indeed  within  our  reach.     For  the  command 
to  suffer  like  Christ  has  come  in  connection  with 
the  teaching,  *  Christ  also  suffered  for  us,  so  that  we, 
being  dead  to  sins,  might  live  unto  righteousness.' 

Beloved  fellow- Christian  !  wouldst  thou  not  -love 
to  le  )i  .  Jesus,  and  in  bearing  injuries  act  as  He 
Himself  would  have  acted  in  thy  place  ?  Is  it  not 
a  ■.';ior''>us  •""o'^pect  in  everything,  even  in  this  too 
to  be  confoimed  to  Him  ?  For  our  strength  it  is 
too  high ;  in  His  strength  it  is  possible.  Only 
surrender  thyself  day  by  day  to  Him  to  be  in  all 
things  just  what  He  would  have  thee  to  be.  Believe 
that  He  lives  in  heaven  to  be  the  life  and  th( 
strength  of  each  one  who  seeks  to  walk  in  Hi 
footsteps.  Yield  thyself  to  be  one  with  the  suffer 
ing,  crucified  Christ,  that  thou  mayest  understaiu 
what  it  is  to  be  dead  to  sins,  and  to  live  unt( 
righteousness.  And  it  will  be  tliy  joyful  experi- 
ence what  wonderful  power  there  is  in  Jesus'  death.||| 
not  only  to  atone  for  sin,  but  to  break  its  power; 
and  in  His  resurrection,  to  make  thee  live  unto 
righteousness.  Thou  shalt  find  it  equally  blessed  to 
follow  fully  the  footsteps  of  the  suffering  Saviour,  as 
it  has  been  to  trust  fully  and  only  in  that  sufferiug 


IN  SUFFEHING  WRONG, 


45 


atonement  and  redemption.  Christ  will  be  as 
Bcious  as  thy  Example  as  He  has  ever  been  as 

Surety.     Because  He  took  thy  sufferings  upon 

pmself,  thou  wilt  lovingly  take  His  sufferings  upon 

irself.     And  bearing  wrong  will  become  a  glorious 

rt  of  the  fellowship  with  His  holy  sufferings ;  a 

prions  mark  of  being  conformed  to  His  most  holy 

jness ;  a  most  blessed  fruit  of  the  true  life  of  faith. 


^vJ 


..O  Lord  my  God,  I  have  heard  Thy  precious  word: 
Ili  any  man  endure  grief,  suffering  wrongfully,  and 
igjkc  it  patiently,  this  is  acceptable  with  God.  This 
jl-indeed  a  sacrifice  that  is  well-pleasing  to  Thee,  a 
»rk  that  Thine  own  grace  alone  hath  wrought, 
fruit  of  the  suffering  of  Thy  beloved  Son,  of  the 
pmple  He  left,  and  the  power  He  gives  in  virtue 
|His  having  destroyed  the  power  of  sin. 
|0  my  Father,  teach  me  and  all  Thy  children  to 
at  nothing  less  than  complete  conformity  to 
iy  dear  Son  in  this  trait  of  His  blessed  image. 
>rd  my  God,  I  would  now,  once  for  all,  give  up 
ie  keeping  of  my  honour  and  my  rights  into  Thy 
mds,  never  more  again  myself  to  take  charge  of 
liiui.  Thou  wilt  care  for  them  most  perfectly, 
lay  my  only  care  be  the  honour  and  the  rights  of 
iy  Lord ! 

I  specially  beseech  Thee  to  fill  me  with  faith  in 
Ihc  conquering  power  of  suffering  love.  Give  me 
apprehend  fully  how  the  suffering  Lamb  of  God 
|eaches  us  that  patience  and  silence  and  sufferincr 
ivail  more  with  God,  and  therefore  with  man  too, 


n\ 


46 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


than  might  or  right.  O  my  Father,  I  must,  I  would 
walk  in  the  footsteps  of  my  Lord  Jesus.  Let  Thy 
Holy  Spirit,  and  the  light  of  Thy  love  and  presence, 
he  my  guide  and  strength.     Amen. 


NOTE. 

*  What  is  it  thou  sayest,  my  son  ?  Cease  from  com- 
plaining, when  thou  considerest  my  passion,  and  the 
sufferings  of  my  other  saints.  Do  not  say,  "  To  suffer 
this  from  such  a  one,  it  is  more  than  I  can  or  may  do. 
He  has  done  me  great  wrong,  and  accused  me  of  things 
I  never  thought  of.  Of  another  I  might  bear  it,  if  I 
thought  I  deserved  it,  but  not  from  him!"  Such 
thoughts  are  very  I'oolish ;  instead  of  thinking  of 
patience  in  suffering,  or  of  Him  by  whom  it  will  be 
crowned,  we  only  are  occupied  with  the  injury  done  to 
us,  and  the  person  who  has  done  it.  No,  he  deserves 
not  the  name  of  pitient  who  is  only  willing  to  suffer  as 
much  as  he  thinks  pi'oper,  and  from  whom  he  pleases.  The 
truly  patient  man  asks  not  from  whom  ^  he  suffers,  his 
superior,  his  equal,  or  his  inferior;  whether  from  a 
good  and  holy  man,  or  one  who  is  perverse  and  un- 
worthy. But  from  whomsoever,  how  much  soever,  or 
how  often  soever  wrong  is  done  him,  he  accepts  it  all  as 
from  the  band  of  God,  and  counts  it  gain.  For  with 
God  it  is  impossible  that  anything  suffered  for  His  sake 
should  pass  without  its  reward. 

*  O  Lord,  let  tl-at  become  possible  to  me  by  Thy  grace, 
which  by  nature  seems  impossible.  Grant  that  the 
suffering  wrong  may  by  Thy  love  be  made  pleasant  to 
me.  To  suffer  for  Thy  sake  is  most  healthful  to  my 
souL'i 

*  From  Thomas  k  Er-mpis,  0/  the  Imitation  of  Christ,  uL  19. 
That  the  tt^ffermg  qftorong  ia  the  proqf  of  true  patience. 


'■| 


CRUCIFIED  WITH  HIM. 


4T 


■  >-f< ! 


Sixth  Day. 


oever,  or 


LIKE  CHRIST: 

Cructfie)!  Inai)  J^im. 

•  I  am  orncified  with  Christ :  nevertheleM  I  live ;  yet  not  I,  bnt 
Christ  liveth  in  me.  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory  save  in  th* 
cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is  crucified 
unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world.*— Gal.  ii.  20,  vi.  14. 

TAKING  up  the  cross  was  always  spoken  of  by 
Christ  as  the  test  of  discipleship.  On  three 
different  occasions  (Matt.  x.  38,  xvi.  24 ;  Luke 
xiv.  27)  we  find  the  words  repeated,  '  If  any  man 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  take  up  his  cross  and 
follow  me.'  While  the  Lord  was  still  on  His  way 
to  the  cross,  this  expression — taking  up  the  cross- 
was  the  most  appropriate  to  indicate  that  conformity 
to  Him  to  which  the  disciple  is  called.*  But  now  that 
He  has  been  crucified,  the  Holy  Spirit  gives  another 
expression,  in  which  our  entire  conformity  to  Christ 

*  See  note.  Christians  entirely  miss  the  point  of  the  Lord's 
command  when  they  refer  the  taking  up  of  the  cross  only  to  the 
crosses  or  trials  of  life.  It  means  much  more.  The  cross  means 
death.  Taking  up  the  cross  means  going  out  to  die.  It  is  just  in 
the  time  of  prosperity  that  we  most  need  to  bear  the  cross. 
Taking  up  the  cross  and  following  Him  is  nothing  less  than  living 
every  day  with  our  own  life  and  will  given  up  to  death. 


tnW: 


t 


i4jf 


ii 


■i  i! 


M 


1 1 


! 


!    ill! 


.Ilin.-ill 


m 


48 


LIKE  ciruisT : 


is  still  more  powerfully  set  forth, — the  believing 
disciple  is  himself  crucified  with  Christ.  The  cross 
is  the  chief  mark  of  the  Christian  as  of  Christ ;  the 
crucified  Christ  and  the  crucified  Christian  belong  to 
each  other.  One  of  the  chief  elements  of  likeness  to 
Christ  consists  in  being  crucified  with  Him.  Wlio- 
ever  wishes  to  be  like  Him  must  seek  to  understand 
the  secret  of  fellowship  with  His  cross. 

At  first  sight  the  Christian  who  seeks  conformity 
to  Jesus  is  afraid  of  this  truth ;  he  shrinks  from 
the  painful  suffering  and  death  with  which  the 
thought  of  the  cross  is  connected.  As  His  spiritual 
discernment  becomes  clearer,  however,  this  word 
becomes  all  his  hope  and  joy,  and  he  glories  in  the 
cross,  because  it  makes  him  a  partner  in  a  death  and 
victory  that  has  already  been  accomplished,  and  in 
which  the  deliverance  from  the  powers  of  the  flesh 
and  of  the  world  has  been  secured  to  him.  To 
understand  this  we  must  notice  carefully  the 
language  of  Scripture. 

*  I  am  crucified  with  Christ,*  Paul  says  ;  *  never- 
theless I  live ;  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me.' 
Through  faith  in  Christ  we  become  partakers  of 
Clirist's  life.  That  life  is  a  life  that  has  passed 
through  the  death  of  the  cross,  and  in  which  the 
power  of  that  death  is  alvmys  ivorJcing.  "When  I 
receive  that  life,  I  receive  at  the  same  time  the 
full  power  of  the  death  on  the  cross  working  in 
me  in  its  never-ceasing  energy.  *  I  have  been 
crucified  with  Christ ;  yet  I  live ;  and  yet  no 
longer    I,  but  Christ  liveth    in  me  *  (R  V.) ;   the 


'JUL 


CRUCIFIED  WITH  HIM. 


4t 


life  I  now  live  i.  not  my  own  life,  but  the  life  of 
the  Crucified  One,  is  the  life  of  the  cross.  The 
being  crucified  is  a  thing  past  and  done :  '  Knowing- 
thir),  that  our  old  man  was  (K.  V.)  crucified  with 
Him;'  'They  that  are  Christ's  have  crucified  the 
tlfsh ; '  *  I  glory'  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  by  whom  the  world  hath  been  (R.  V.)  crucified 
unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world.'  These  texts  all 
speak  of  scmething  that  has  been  done  in  Christ, 
and  into  which  I  am  admitted  by  faith. 

It  is  of  great  consequence  to  understand  this, 
and  to  give  bold  utterance  to  the  truth:  I  have 
been  crucified  with  Christ ;  I  have  crucified  the 
flesh.  I  thus  learn  how  perfectly  I  share  in  the 
finished  work  of  Christ.  If  I  am  crucified  and 
dead  with  Him,  then  I  am  a  partner  in  His  life 
and  victory.  I  learn  to  understand  the  position 
\  I  must  take  to  allow  the  power  of  that  cross  and 
that  death  to  manifest  itself  in  mortifying  or  (R.  V.) 
making  dead  the  old  man  and  the  flesh,  in  destroying 
the  body  of  sin  (Rom.  vi.  6). 

For  there  is  still  a  great  work  for  me  to  do. 
But  that  work  is  not  to  crucify  myself:  I  have 
been  crucified ;  the  old  man  was  crucified,  so  the 
Scripture  speaks.  But  what  I  have  to  do  is 
always  to  regard  and  treat  it  as  crucified,  and  not 
to  suffer  it  to  come  down  from  the  cross.  I  must 
maintain  my  crucifixion  position ;  I  must  keep  the 
flesh  in  the  place  of  crucifixion.  To  realize  the 
force  of  this  I  must  notice  an  important  distinction. 
I  have  been  crucified  and  am  dead :  the  old  Adam 

D 


i! 


*i.| 

M 


P.K 


¥■■ 


■il 


it  II 


i  I 


50 


LIKE  GIIUIST : 


was  crucified,  but  is  not  yet  dead.  When  I  gav( 
myself  to  my  crucified  Saviour,  sin  and  fiesh  pmi^ 
all,  He  took  me  wholly ;  I  with  my  evil  nat 
was  taken  up  with  Him  in  His  crucifixion.  But 
here  a  separation  took  place.  In  fellowship  with 
Him  I  was  freed  from  the  life  of  the  flesh ;  I 
myself  died  witli  Him ;  in  the  inmost  centre  of 
my  being  I  received  new  life :  Christ  lives  in  mc. 
But  the  flesh,  in  which  I  yet  am,  the  old  man  that 
was  crucified  with  Him,  remain:^'  condenmed  to  an 
accursed  death,  but  is  not  yet  dead.  And  now  it  is 
my  calling,  in  fellowship  with  and  in  the  strengtli 
of  my  Lord,  to  see  that  the  old  nature  be  kep*^ 
nailed  to  the  cross,  until  the  time  comes  that  it 
entirely  destroyed.  All  its  desires  and  affectiono 
cry  out,  *  Come  down  from  the  cross,  save  thyself 
and  us.'  It  is  my  duty  to  glory  in  the  cross,  and 
with  my  whole  heart  to  maintain  the  dominion  ^ 
of  the  cross,  and  to  set  my  seal  to  the  sentence  g 
that  has  been  pronounced,  to  make  dead  every 
uprising  of  sin,  as  already  crucified,  and  so  not 
to  suffer  it  to  have  dominion.  This  is  what  Scrip- 
ture means  when  it  says,  '  If  ye  through  the  spirit 
do  make  to  die  (R.  V.)  the  deeds  of  the  body, 
ye  shall  live '  (Kom.  viii.  1 3).  *  Make  dead  there- 
fore your  members  which  are  upon  the  earth.*  Thus 
I  continually  and  voluntarily  acknowledge  that  in 
my  flesh  dwells  no  good  thing;  that  my  Lord  is  Christ 
the  Crucified  One ;  that  I  have  teen  crucified  and  am 
dead  in  Him ;  that  the  flesh  has  been  crucified  and, 
though  not  yet  dead,  has  been  for  ever  given  over 


CKUCIFIED  WITH  HIM. 


61 


the  death  of  the  cross.  And  so  I  live  like  Christ, 
III  very  deed  crucified  with  Him. 

In  order  to  enter  fully  into  the  meaning  and  the 
)ower  of  this  fellowship  of  the  crucifixion  of  our 
.ord,  two  things  are  specially  necessary  to  those 
dio  are  Christ's  followers.  The  first  is  the  clear 
;ons('iousness  of  this  their  fellowship  with  the 
Drucilied  One  through  faith.  At  conversion  they 
)ecame  partakers  of  it  without  fully  understanding 


It.     Many  remam  m 


Ignorance 


all  their  life  lonjr 


^hrough  a  want  of  spiritual  knowledge.  Brother, 
)ray  that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  reveal  to  you  your 
inion  to  the  Crucified  One.  *  I  have  been  crucified 
^ith  Christ;'  *  I  glory  in  the  cross  of  Christ,  through 
rhich  I  have  been  crucified  to  the  world.'  Take 
iiucV  words  of  Holy  Scripture.and  by  prayer  and  medi- 
j;ation  make  them  your  own,  with  a  heart  that  expects 
md  asks  the  Holy  Spirit  to  make  them  living  and 
jffectual  within  you.  Look  upon  yourself  in  the  light 
)f  God  as  what  you  really  are,  *  crucified  with  Christ.' 
Then  you  will  find  the  grace  for  the  second 
Ithing  you  need  to  enable  you  to  live  as  a  crucified 
one,  in  whom  Christ  lives.  You  will  be  able 
always  to  look  upon  and  to  treat  the  flesh  and  the 
world  as  nailed  to  the  cross.  The  old  nature  seeks 
continually  to  assert  itself,  and  to  make  you  feel  as 
if  it  is  expecting  too  much  that  you  should  always 
live  this  crucifixion  life.  Your  only  safety  is  in 
fellowship  with  Christ.  *  Through  Him  and  His 
cross,'  says  Paul,  'I  have  been  crucified  to  the 
world.'     In  Him  the  crucifixion  is  an  accomplished 


m 

1i):jI 


'•  i 


iiil 
'li' 


t 


1 1 .1 


I.! 


II 


'2 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


reality ;  in  Him  you  have  died,  but  also  have  beer 
made  alive :  Christ  lives  in  you.     With  this  fellow- 
ship of  His  cross  let  it  be  with  you,  the  deeper  thevf 
better :  it  brings  you  into  deeper  communion  with 
His  life  and  His  love.     To  be  crucified  with  Christ  : 
means  freed  from  the  power  of  sin :  a  redeemed  5 
one,  a  conqueror.     Remember  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
has  been  specially  provided  to  glorify  Christ  in  you, 
to  reveal  within  you,  and  make  your  very  own  ali 
that  is  in  Christ  for  you.     Do  not  be  satisfied,  with 
so  many  others,  only  to  know  the  cross  in  its  power 
to  atone :  the  glory  of  the  cross  is,  that  it  was  not 
only  to  Jesus,  but  is  to  us  too,  the  path  to  life,  but 
that  each  moment  it  c?.n  become  to  us  the  powei 
that  destroys  sin  and  death,  and  keeps  us  in  the 
power  of  the  eternal  life.     Learn  from  your  Saviour 
the  holy  art  of  using  it  for  this.     Faith  in  the  power 
of  the  cross  and  its  victory  will  day  by  day  make 
dead  the  deeds  of  the  body,  the  lusts  of  the  flesh. 
This  faith  will  teach  you  to  count  the  cross,  with  its 
continual  death  to  self,  all  your  glory.     Because 
you  regard  the  cross,  not  as  one  who  is  still  on  the 
way  to  crucifixion,  with   the  prospect  of  a  painful 
death,  but  as  one  to  whom  the  crucifixion  is  past, 
who  already  lives  in  Christ,  and  now  only  bears  the 
cross  as  the  blessed  instrument  through  which  the 
body  of  sin  is  done  away  (Rom.  vi.  6,  R.  V.).     The 
banner  under  which  complete  victory  over  sin  and 
the  world  is  to  be  won  is  the  cross. 

Above  all,  remember  what  still  remains  the  chief 
thing.     It  is  Jesus,  the  living  loving  Saviour,  who 


CRUCIFIED  WITH  HIM. 


53 


limself  enables  you  to  be  like  Him  in  all  things. 

[is  sweet  fellowship,  His  tender  love,  His  heavenly 
)ower,  make  it  a  blessedness  and  joy  to  be  like 

[im,  the  Crucified  One,  make  the  crucifixion  life  a 
life  of  resurrection-joy  and  power.  In  Him  the  two 
ire  inseparably  connected.     In  Him  you  have  the 

trength  to  be  always  singing  the  triumphant  song : 

rod  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of 
>ur  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  through  which  the  world 
lath  been  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world. 


Precious  Saviour,  I  humbly  ask  Thee  to  show  me 
be  hidden  glory  of    the  fellowship  of    Thy  cross. 
?he  cross  was  my  place,  the  place  of  death   and 
mrse.     Thou  didst  become  like  us,  and  hast  been 
jrucified  with  us.     And  now  the  cross  is  Thy  place, 
|the  place  of  blessing  and  life.    And  Thou  callest 
le  to  become  like  Thee,  and  as  one  who  is  crucified 
rith  Thee,  to  experience  how  entirely  the  cross  has 
lade  me  free  from  sin. 

Lord,  give  me  to  know  its  full  power.  It  is  long 
since  I  knew  the  power  of  the  cross  to  redeem  from 
the  curse.  ]3ut  how  long  I  strove  in  vain  as  a 
redeemed  one  to  overcome  the  power  of  sin,  and  to 
ijuey  the  Father  as  Thou  hast  done!  I  could  not 
break  the  power  of  sin.  But  now  I  see,  this  comes 
only  when  Thy  disciple  yields  himself  entirely  to 
be  led  by  Thy  Holy  Spirit  into  the  fellowship  of 
Thy  cross.  There  Thou  dost  give  him  to  see  how 
the  cross  has  broken  for  ever  the  power  of  sin,  and 
has  made  him  free.     There  Thou,  the  Crucified  One, 


^p 

11 

;![■• 

■\k 

fa 

i  I ' 

^  la 

^''4}\ 


54 


LIKE  CUUIST  : 


I   ! 


Mi){ 


Hilllilil! 


IIP 


III 


dost  live  in  him  and  impart  to  him  Thine  own 
Spirit  of  whole-hearted  self-sacrifice,  in  casting  out 
and  conquering  sin.  Oh,  my  Lord,  teach  me  to 
understand  this  better.  In  this  faith  I  say,  *  I  have 
been  crucified  with  Christ.'  Oh,  Thou  who  lovedst 
me  to  the  death,  not  Thy  cross,  but  Thyself  the 
Crucified  One,  Thou  art  He  whom  I  seek,  and  in 
whom  I  hope.  Take  me.  Thou  Crucified  One,  and 
hold  me  fast,  and  teach  me  from  moment  to  moment 
to  look  upon  all  that  is  of  self  as  condemned,  and  only 
worthy  to  be  crucified.  Take  me,  and  hold  me,  and 
teach  me,  from  moment  to  moment,  that  in  Thee  I 
have  all  I  need  for  a  life  of  holiness  and  blessing. 
Amen.  

NOTE. 

'  Jesus  hath  now  many  lovers  of  His  heavenly  king- 
dom, but  few  bearers  of  His  cross.  He  hath  many  who 
desire  His  consolation,  few  His  tribulation ;  many  who 
are  willing  to  share  His  table,  few  His  fasting.  All  are 
Avilling  to  rejoice  with  Him,  few  will  endure  anything 
for  Him.  Many  follow  Jesus  into  the  breaking  of  bread, 
but  few  to  drink  of  the  cup  whereof  He  drank.  Many 
glory  in  His  miracles,  few  in  the  shame  of  His  cross.' ^ 

'  To  many  it  seems  a  hard  speech,  "  Deny  thyself,  take 
up  thy  cross,  and  follow  Jesus."  But  it  will  be  much 
harder  to  hear  that  other  word,  "  Depart  from  me,  ye 
cursed ; "  for  only  they  who  now  hear  and  follow  the 
word  of  the  cross  shall  then  have  no  fear  of  the  word  of 
condemnation.  For  the  sign  of  the  cross  will  be  seen  in 
the  heaven  when  the  Lord  cometh  to  judgment,  and  all 
the  servants  of  the  cross,  who  in  their  lifetime  have  been 
conformed  to  Christ  crucified,  will  then  draw  near  to 

*  From  Thomas  h  Kempis,  Of  the  Imitation  of  Christ,  ii.  11.  That 
the  lovers  of  the  Cross  of  Jcsm  are  few. 


::i: 


ii 


CRUCIFIED  WITH  HIM. 


55 


line  own 


Christ  their  judge  with  great  confidence.  Why,  then, 
dost  thou  fear  to  take  up  the  cross  which  fitteth  thee  for 
the  kingdom  1  In  the  cross  is  life,  in  the  cross  is  salva- 
tion ;  tlie  cross  defends  against  all  enemies  ;  in  the  cross 
there  is  the  infusion  of  all  heavenly  sweetness ;  in  tlie 
cross  is  strength  of  mind,  joy  of  spirit ;  the  cross  h  the 
height  of  virtue  and  the  perfection  of  sanctity.  There 
is  no  happiness  for  the  soul  but  in  the  cross.  Take  up, 
tlierefore,  thy  cross  and  follow  Jesus,  and  diou  shalt  live 
for  ever. 

♦  If  thou  bear  the  cross  cheerfully,  it  will  bear  thee. 
If  thou  bear  it  unwillingly,  thou  makest  for  thyself  a 
burden  which  still  thou  hast  to  bear.  What  saint  was 
there  ever  who  did  not  bear  the  cross  ?  Even  Christ 
must  needs  suffer.  How  then  dost  tliou  seek  any  other 
way  tiian  this,  which  is  the  royal  way,  the  way  of  the 
sacred  cross  ? 

'He  that  willingly  submits  to  the  cross,  to  him  its 
whole  burden  is  changed  into  a  sweet  assurance  of 
divine  comfort.  And  the  more  the  flesh  is  broken  down 
by  the  cross,  the  more  the  spirit  is  strengthened  by 
inward  grace.  It  is  not  in  man  by  nature  to  bear  the 
cross,  to  love  the  cross,  to  deny  self,  to  bring  the  body 
into  subjection,  and  willingly  to  endure  suffering.  If 
thou  look  to  thyself,  thou  canst  accomplish  nothing  of 
all  this.  But  if  thou  trust  in  the  Lord,  strength  shall 
be  given  thee  from  heaven,  and  the  world  and  the  flesh 
shall  be  made  subject  to  thy  rule.  Set  thyself,  there- 
fore, to  bear  manfully  the  cross  of  thy  Lord,  who  out  of 
love  was  crucified  for  thee. 

'Know  for  certain  thou  oughtest  to  lead  a  dying  life, 
for  the  more  any  man  dieth  unto  himself,  the  more  he 
liveth  unto  God.  Surely,  if  there  had  been  any  better 
thing,  and  more  profitable  to  man's  salvation,  than  bear- 
ing the  cross,  Christ  would  have  showed  it  us  by  word 
and  example.  But  now  He  calleth  all  who  would  follow 
Him  plainly  to  do  this  one  thing,  daily  to  bear  the  cross.'  ^ 

^  From  Thomas  h,  Kempis,  0/ the  Imitation  of  Christ,  ii  12.  0/ 
the  Royal  Way  of  the  Sacred  Cross, 


111 


u 


\M 


1     I 


\\ 


Ill 


i  > 


II ;:' 


»l 


UKE  CHKIST : 


Seventh  Day. 

'    0 

LIKE  CHItlST: 

*  We  then  that  are  Btrong  onght  to  bear  the  infirmities  of  the 
weak,  and  not  to  please  ourselves.  Let  every  one  of  ns  please 
bis  neighbour  for  his  good  to  edification.  For  even  Christ 
pleased  not  Himself,  as  it  is  written,  The  reproaches  of  them 
that  reproached  thee  fell  upon  me.  Wherefore  receive  ye  one 
another,  even  as  Christ  also  received  us  to  the  glory  of  God.*— 
Rom.  XV.  1-3,  7. 

'  If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himaelf^  and 
take  up  his  cross,  vnA  follow  me.— Matt.  xvi.  24. 

EVEN  Christ  pleased  not  Himself:  He  bore  the 
reproaches,  with  which  men  reproached  and 
dishonoured  God,  so  patiently,  that  He  might  glorify 
God  and  save  man.  Christ  pleased  not  Himself:  with 
reference  both  to  God  and  man,  this  word  is  the  key  of 
His  life.  In  this,  too,  His  life  is  our  rule  and  example; 
we  who  are  strong  ought  not  to  please  ourselves. 

To  deny  self — this  is  the  opposite  of  pleasing 
self.  When  Peter  denied  Christ,  he  said :  I  know 
not  the  man ;  with  Him  and  His  interests  I  have 
nothing  to  do;  I  do  not  wish  to  be  counted  His 
friend.  In  the  same  way  the  true  Christian  denies 
himself,  the  old  man :  I  do  not  know  this  old  man ; 
I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  him  and  his  interests. 
And  when  shame  and  dishonour  come  upon  him,  or 
anything  be  exacted  that  is  not  pleasant  to  the  old 
nature,  he  simply  says :  Bo  as  you  like  with  the  old 


IN  HIS  SELF-DENIAL. 


57 


'^1 

in 


nfirmities  of  the 
9&e  of  US  please 
For  even  Christ 
'oachea  of  them 
)  receive  ye  one 
glory  of  God.*— 

iy  himaelff  and 

14. 

He  bore  the 

►reached  and 

might  glorify 

[imself:  with 

is  the  key  of 

md  example; 

Durselves. 

of  pleasing 

lid :  I  know 

rests  I  have 

jounted  His 

istian  denies 

is  old  man ; 

lis  interests. 

pon  him,  or 

to  the  old 

^ith  the  old 


Ldam,  I  will  take  no  notice  of  it.     Through  the 
jross  of  Christ  I  am  crucified  to  the  world,  and  the 

!flcsh,  and  self ;  to  the  friendship  and  interest  of  this 
old  man  I  am  a  stranger ;  I  deny  him  to  be  my  friend; 
I  deny  his  every  claim  and  wish ;  I  know  him  not. 

^'1  The  Christian  who  only  thinks  of  his  salvation 
from  curse  and  condemnation  cannot  understand 
this ;  he  finds  it  impossible  to  deny  self.  Although 
Jbe  may  sometimes  try  to  do  so,  his  life  mainly  con- 
SBists  in  pleasing  himself.  The  Christian  who  has 
Itaken  Christ  as  his  pattern  cannot  be  content  with 
this.  He  has  surrendered  himself  to  seek  the  most 
complete  fellowship  with  the  cross  of  Christ.  The 
ilHoly  Spirit  has  taught  him  to  say,  I  have  been  cruci- 
fied with  Christ,  and  so  am  dead  to  sin  and  self.  In 
fellowship  with  Christ  he  sees  the  old  man  crucified, 
Ja  condemned  malefactor;  he  is  ashamed  to  own 
liim  as  a  friend :  it  is  his  fixed  purpose,  and  he  has 
feceived  the  power  for  it  too,  no  longer  to  please 
his  old  nature,  but  to  deny  it.  Because  the  crucified 
Christ  is  his  life,  self-denial  is  the  lata  of  his  life. 

This  self-denial  extends  itself  over  the  whole 
'  domain  of  life.  It  was  so  with  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
is  so  with  every  one  who  longs  to  follow  Him  per- 
fectly. This  self-denial  has  not  so  much  to  do  with 
what  is  sinful,  and  unlawful,  and  contrary  to  the 
laws  of  God,  as  with  what  is  lawful,  or  apparently 
indifferent.  To  the  self-denying  spirit  the  will  and 
glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  man  are  always 
more  than  our  own  interests  or  pleasure. 

Before  we  can  know  how  to  please  our  neighbour, 
self-denial  must   first   exercise  itself   in   our  own 


!H 


!:i 


I      '1 


1 


m 


li 


M 


i 


I    ! 


58 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


personal  life.  It  must  rule  the  body.  The  holy  j 
fasting  of  Him  who  said,  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  I 
alone,  but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  f 
mouth  of  God ;  and  who  would  not  eat  until  His 
Father  gave  Him  food,  and  His  Father's  work  was 
done,  teaches  the  believer  a  holy  temperance  in 
eating  and  drinking.  The  holy  poverty  of  Him 
who  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head,  teaches  him  so 
to  regulate  the  possession,  and  use,  and  enjoyment 
of  earthly  things,  that  he  may  always  possess  as  not 
possessing.  After  the  example  of  the  holy  suffering 
of  Him  who  bore  all  our  sins  in  His  own  body  on 
the  tree,  he  learns  to  bear  all  suffering  patiently : 
even  in  the  body  as  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
he  desires  to  bear  about  the  dying  of  the  Lord 
Jesus;  with  Paul  he  keeps  under  the  body  and 
brings  it  into  subjection;  all  its  desires  and 
appetites  he  would  have  ruled  by  the  self-denial  of 
Jesus.     He  does  not  please  himself. 

This  self-denial  keeps  watch  over  the  spirit  too. 
His  own  wisdom  and  judgment  the  believer  brings 
into  subjection  to  God's  word  ;  he  gives  up  his  own 
thoughts  to  the  teaching  of  the  Word  and  the 
Spirit.  Towards  man  he  manifests  the  same  self- 
denial  of  his  own  wisdom  in  a  readiness  to  hear  and 
learn,  in  the  meekness  and  humility  with  which, 
even  when  he  knows  he  is  in  the  right,  he  gives  his 
opinion,  in  the  desire  ever  to  find  and  to  acknow- 
ledge what  is  good  in  others. 

And  then  self-denial  has  special  reference  to  the 
heart.  All  the  affections  and  desires  are  placed  under 
it.     The  will,  the  kingly  power  of  the  soul,  is  speci- 


IN  HIS  SELF-DENIAL. 


59 


f.     The  holy  I 

live  by  bread 

3th  out  of  the 

jat  until  His 

jr's  work  was 

mperance    in 

3rty  of   Him 

saches  him  so 

id  enjoyment 

)ossess  as  not 

boly  suffering 

own  body  on 

ig  patiently: 

Holy  Spirit, 

of  the  Lord 

le  body  and 

desires    and 

self-denial  of 

le  spirit  too. 
iever  brings 

up  his  own 

>rd  and    the 

same  self- 

to  hear  and 
with  which, 
he  gives  his 

to  acknow- 

ence  to  the 
)laced  under 
►ul,  is  speei- 


m 


illy  under  its  control.  As  little  as  self-pleasing 
3ould  be  a  part  of  Christ's  life,  may  Christ's  follower 
lUow  it  ever  to  influence  his  conduct.  *  We  ought 
lot  to  please  ourselves.  For  even  Christ  pleased 
lot  Himself.'     Self-denial  is  the  law  of  his  life. 

Nor  does  he  find  it  hard  when  once  he  has  truly 
Surrendered  himself  to  it.  To  one  who,  with  a 
livided  heart,  seeks  to  force  himself  to  a  life  of 
self-denial,  it  is  hard  indeed ;  but  to  one  who  has 
rielded  himself  to  it  unreservedly,  because  he  has 
dth  his  whole  heart  accepted  the  cross  to  destroy 
^he  power  of  sin  and  self,  the  blessing  it  brings 
lore  than  compensates  for  apparent  sacrifice  or 
loss.  He  hardly  dare  any  longer  speak  of  self- 
leiiial,  there  is  such  blessedness  in  becoming 
jonformed  to  the  image  of  Jesus. 

Self-denial  has  not  its  value  with  God,  as  some 

think,  from  the  measure  of  pain  it  causes.     No,  for 

this  pain  is  very  much  caused   by  the  remaining 

reluctance  to  practise   it.     But  it  has  its  highest 

rorth  in   that    meek  or   even  joyful    acquiscence 

[which  counts  nothing  a  sacrifice  for  Jesus'  sake,  and 

[feels  surprised  when  others  speak  of  self-denial. 

There  have  been  ages  when  men  thought  they  must 
[fly  to  the  wilderness  or  cloister  to  deny  themselves. 
?he  Lord  Jesus  has  shown  us  that  the  best  place  to 
[practise  self-denial  is  in  our  ordinary  intercourse  with 
[men.  So  Paul  also  says  here,  *  We  ought  not  to  please 
mrselves,  let  every  one  please  his  nciglihour  unto 
hdification.  For  even  Christ  pleased  not  Himself. 
[Therefore  receive  ye  one  another,  even  as  Christ  has 
[received  you.'     Nothing  less  than  the  self-denial  of 


Mt 


I 


I 


ll 


I'liH 
ill 


h    ■ 


ii!r 


I' 


60 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


our  Lord,  who  pleased  not  Himself,  is  our  law.  What 
He  was  we  must  be.     What  He  did  we  must  do. 

What  a  glorious  life  will  it  be  in  the  Church  of 
Christ  when  this  law  prevails !  each  one  considers 
it  the  object  of  existence  to  make  others  happy. 
Each  one  denies  himself,  seeks  not  his  own,  esteems 
others  better  than  himself.  All  thought  of  taking 
offence,  of  wounded  pride,  of  being  slighted  or 
passed  by,  would  pass  away.  As  a  follower  of 
Christ,  each  would  seek  to  bear  the  weak  and  to 
please  his  neighbour.  The  true  self-denial  would 
be  seen  in  this,  that  no  one  would  think  of  himself, 
but  live  in  and  for  others. 

*  If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny 
himself,  take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  me.'  This 
word  not  only  gives  us  the  will,  but  also  the  power 
for  self-denial.  He  who  does  not  simply  wish  to 
reacli  heaven  through  Christ,  but  comes  after  Him 
for  His  own  sake,  will  follow  Him.  And  in  his 
heart  Jesus  speedily  takes  the  place  that  self  had. 
Jesus  only  becomes  the  centre  and  object  of  such  a 
lifa  The  undivided  surrender  to  follow  Him  is 
crowned  with  this  wonderful  blessing,  that  Christ 
by  His  Spirit  Himself  becomes  his  life.  Christ's 
spirit  of  self-denying  love  is  poured  out  upon  him, 
and  to  deny  self  is  the  greatest  joy  of  his  heart,  and 
the  means  of  the  deepest  communion  with  God. 
Self-denial  is  no  longer  a  work  he  simply  does  as  a 
means  of  attaining  perfection  for  himself.  Nor  is  it 
merely  a  negative  victory,  of  which  the  main  feature 
is  the  keeping  self  in  check.  Christ  has  taken  the 
place  of  self,  and  His  love  and  gentleness  and  kind- 


rlaw.  What '^ 
e  must  do. 
le  Church  of 
me  considers 
thers  happy, 
own,  esteems 
jht  of  taking 
slighted  OT 
follower  of 
weak  and  to 
denial  would 
k  of  himself, 

et  him  deny 

(f  me.'     This 

30  the  power 

iply  wish  to 

3s  after  Him 

And  in  his 

at  self  had. 

ct  of  such  a 

ow  Him  is 

that  Christ 

e.     Christ's 

upon  him, 
Is  heart,  and 

with  God. 
[y  does  as  a 
Nor  is  it 
lain  feature 
s  taken  the 
B  and  kind- 


IN  ills  SELF-DENIAL. 


61 


ness  flow  out  to  others,  now  that  self  is  parted  with. 
No  command  becomes  more  blessed  or  more  natural 
than  this :  *  We  ouffht  not  to  please  ourselves,  for  even 
Chi-ist  pleased  not  Himself,*  *  If  any  man  come 
after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  follow  me.' 

Beloved  Lord,  I  thank  Thee  for  this  new  call  to 
follow  Thee,  and  not  to  please  myself,  even  as  Thou 
didst  not  please  Thyself.  I  thank  Thee  that  I 
have  now  no  longer,  as  once,  to  hear  it  with  fear. 
Thy  commandments  are  no  longer  grievous  to  me ; 
Thy  yoke  is  easy,  and  Thy  burden  light.  What  I 
see  in  Thy  life  on  earth  as  my  example,  is  the 
certain  pledge  of  what  1  receive  from  Thy  life  in 
heaven.  I  did  not  always  so  understand  it.  Long 
after  I  had  known  Thee,  I  dared  not  think  of  self- 
d(^nial.  But  for  him  who  has  learned  what  it  is  to 
take  up  the  cioss,  to  be  crucified  with  Thee,  and  to 
see  the  old  man  nailed  to  the  cross,  it  is  no  longer 
terrible  to  deny  it.  Oh,  my  Lord  !  who  would  not 
be  ashamed  to  be  the  friend  of  a  crucified  and 
accursed  criminal  ?  Since  I  have  learned  that  Thou 
art  my  life,  and  that  Thou  dost  wholly  take  charge 
of  the  life  that  is  wholly  entrusted  to  Thee,  to  work 
both  to  will  and  to  do,  I  do  not  fear  but  Thou  wilt 
«4ive  mc  the  love  and  wisdom  in  the  path  of  self- 
denial  joyfully  to  follow  Thy  footsteps.  Blessed 
Lord,  Thy  disciples  are  not  worthy  of  this  grace ; 
but  since  Thou  hast  chosen  us  to  it,  we  will  gladly 
seek  not  to  please  ourselves,  but  every  one  his 
neighbour,  as  Thou  hast  taught  us.  And  may  Thy 
Holy  Spirit  work  it  in  us  mightily.     Amen. 


It 


1 


\\i 


\ 


..«if 


62 


LIKE   CHRIST: 


Eighth  Day. 


LIKE  CHRIST: 

*WaIk  in  love,  even  as  Christ  also  hath  loved  us,  and  hath 
given  Himselt^^  for  us  an  offering  and  a  sacrifice  to  God  for  a 
sweet-smelling  savour.* — Eph.  v.  2. 

*  Hereby  perceive  we  the  love  of  God,  because  He  laid  down 
His  life  for  us:  &nd  we  ought  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the 
brethren.'— 1  John  Hi.  16. 


'  II 


WHAT  is  the  connection  between  self-sacrifice 
and  self-denial  ?  The  former  is  the  root 
from  which  the  latter  springs.  In  self-denial,  self- 
sacrifice  is  tested,  and  thus  strengthened  and  pre- 
pared each  time  again  to  renew  its  entire  surrender. 
Thus  it  was  with  the  Lord  Jesus.  His  incarnation 
was  a  self-sacrifice ;  His  life  of  self-denial  was  the 
proof  of  it ;  through  this,  again,  He  was  prepared 
for  the  great  act  of  self-sacrifice  in  His  death  on  the 
cross. .  Thus  it  is  with  the  Christian.  His  conver- 
sion is  to  a  certain  extent  the  sacrifice  of  self, 
though  but  a  very  partial  one,  owing  to  ignorance 
and  weakness.  From  that  first  act  of  self-surrender 
arises  the  obligation  to  the  exercise  of  daily  self- 
denial.  'The  Christian's  efforts  to  do  so  show  him 
his  weakness,  and  prepare  him  for  that  new  and 


IN  HIS  SELF-SACRIFICE. 


M 


more  entire  self-sacrifice  in  which  he  first  finds 
strength  for  more  continuous  self-denial. 

Self-sacrifice  is  of  the  very  essence  of  true  love. 
The  very  nature  and  blessedness  of  love  consist  in 
forgetting  self,  and  seeking  its  happiness  in  the 
loved  one.  Where  in  the  beloved  there  is  a  want 
or  need,  love  is  impelled  by  its  very  nature  to  offer 
up  its  own  happiness  for  that  of  the  other,  to  unite 
itself  to  the  beloved  one,  and  at  any  sacrifice  to 
make  him  the  sharer  of  its  own  blessedness. 

AMio  can  say  whether  this  is  not  one  of  the 
secrets  which  eternity  will  reveal,  that  sin  was  per- 
mitted because  otherwise  God's  love  could  never 
80  fully  have  been  revealed  ?  The  highest  glory  of 
God's  love  was  manifested  in  the  self-sacrifice  of 
Christ.  It  is  the  highest  glory  of  the  Christian  to 
be  like  his  Lord  in  this.  Without  entire  self- 
sacrifice  the  new  command,  the  command  of  love, 
cannot  be  fulfilled.  Without  entire  self-sacrifice 
we  cannot  love  as  Jesus  loved.  *  Be  ye  imitators 
of  God,'  says  the  apostle,  'and  walk  in  love, 
even  as  Christ  hath  loved  us,  and  given  Him- 
self a  sacrifice  for  us.'  Let  all  your  walk  and 
conversation  be,  according  to  Christ's  example,  in 
love.  It  was  this  love  that  made  His  sacrifice 
acceptable  in  God's  sight,  a  sweet-smelling  savour. 
As  His  love  exhibited  itself  in  self-sacrifice,  let 
your  love  prove  itself  to  be  conformable  to  His  in 
the  daily  self-sacrifice  for  the  welfare  of  others,  so 
will  it  also  be  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God.  '  We 
ought  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  brethren.* 


m.n 


M 


i   '  I 


•'i 


■1    i 


S 


T 


64 


UKE  CHRIST: 


I   jj 


Down  even  into  the  daily  aflairs  of  home  life,  in 
the  intercourse  between  husband  and  wife,  in  the 
relation  of  master  and  servant,  Clurist's  self-sacrifice 
must  be  the  rule  of  our  walk.  'Likewise,  ye 
husbands,  love  your  wives,  even  as  Christ  loved  the 
Church,  and  gave  Himself  for  it.' 

And  mark  specially  the  words,  '  Hath  given 
Himself  for  us  an  ofTering  to  God.'  We  see  that 
self-sacrifice  has  here  two  sides.  Christ's  self- 
sacrifice  had  a  Godward  as  well  as  a  manward 
aspect.  It  was  for  us,  but  it  was  to  God  that  He 
ofl'ered  Himself  as  a  sacrifice.  In  all  our  self- 
sacrifice  there  must  be  these  two  sides  in  union, 
though  now  the  one  and  then  again  the  other  may 
be  more  prominent. 

It  is  only  when  we  sacrifice  ourselves   to   God 
that  there  will  be  the  power  for   an  entire  self- 
sacrifice.     The  Holy  Spirit  reveals  to  the  believer  i 
the  right  of  God's  claim  on  us,  how  we  are  not  our 
own,  but  His.     The  realization  of  how  absolutely] 
we  are  God's  property,  bought  and  paid  for  witli 
blood,  of  how  we  are  loved  with  such  a  wonderful 
love,  and  of  what  blessedness  there  is  in  the  full| 
surrender  to  Him,  leads  the  believer  to  yield  him- 
self a  whole  burnt- offering.     He  lays  himself  on  thf' 
altar  of  consecration,  and  finds  it  his  highest 
be  a  sweet-smelling  savour  to  his  God,  God-*      ^leci 
and  God-accepted.     And  then  it  becomes  hio  first 
and  most  earnest  desire  to  know  how  God  would  havt 
him  show  this  entire  self-sacrifice  in  life  and  walk. 

God  points  him  to  Christ's  example.     He  was  t\ 


• '  I 


IN  HIS  SKLF-SACRIFICE. 


65 


sweet -smelling  savour  to  God  when  He  gave  Him- 
self a  sacrifice  for  us.  For  every  Christian  who 
<,'ives  himself  entirely  to  His  service,  God  has  the 
siune  honour  as  He  had  for  His  Son,  He  uses  him 
as  an  instrument  of  blessing  to  others.  Therefore 
John  says,  '  He  who  loveth  not  his  brother  whom 
he  hath  seen,  how  can  he  love  God  whom  he  hath 
not  seen  ? '  The  self-sacrifice  in  which  you  have 
devoted  yourself  to  God's  service,  binds  you  also  to 
serve  your  fellow-men ;  the  same  act  which  makes 
you  entirely  God's,  makes  you  entirely  theirs.^ 

It  is  just  this  surrender  to  God  that  gives  the 

power  for  self-sacrifice   towards   others,   and  even 

iiiiik(!s  it  a  joy.     "When  faith  has  first  appropriated 

the  promise,  '  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  to  the 

least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto 

me,'  I  understand   the  glorious  harmony  between 

sacrifice  to  God  and  sacrifice  for  men.     My  inter- 

I  course   with   my  fellow-men,  instead  of  being,   as 

I  many  complain,  a  hindrance  to  unbroken  communion 

Iwith  God,  becomes  an  opportunity  of  ofiering  myself 

[unceasingly  to  Him. 

Blessed  calling !  to  walk  in  love  even  as  Christ 
'"v<(i  us,  and  gave  Himself  for  us  a  sacrifice  and 
iwt  L't-smelling  savour  to  God.  Only  thus  can  the 
Jhii'^^h  fulfil  its  destiny,  and  prove  to  the  world 
thai  she  is  set  apart  to  continue  Christ's  work  of 
self-sacrificing  love,  and  fill  up  that  which  remaineth 
)eliind  of  the  afflictions  of  Christ. 

But  does  God  really  expect  us  to  deny  ourselves 

*  See  note. 
£ 


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Ill     l!H 
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in; 


ee 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


SO  entirely  for  others  ?     Is  it  not  asking  too  much  ? 
Can  any  cue  really  sacrifice  himself  so  entirely  ? 
Christian !  God  does  expect  it.     Nothing  less  than 
this  is  the  conformity  to  the  image  of  His  Son,  toi 
which  He  predestinated  you  from  eternity.     This  is  \ 
the  path  by  which  Jesus  entered  into  His  glory  and ' 
blessedness,  and  by  no  other  way  can  the  disciple  | 
enter  into  the  joy  of  His  Lord.     It  is  in  very  deed^ 
our  calling  to  become  exactly  like  Jesiis  in  His  love  and 
self-sacrifice.    *  Walk  in  love,  even  as  Christ  loved.* 
It  is  a  great  thing  when  a  believer  sees   and 
acknowledges  this.     That  God's  people  and  evens 
God's  servants  understand  it  so  little,  is  one  great | 
cause   of  the   impotence  of  the  Church.     In  thisl 
matter  the  Church  indeed  needs  a  second  reforma-j 
tion.     In  the  great    Keformation    three   centuries j 
ago,  the  power  of  Christ's  atoning  death  and  right- 
eoubiiess  were  brought  to  light,  to  the  great  comfort] 
and  joy  of  anxious  souls.     But  we  need  a  second! 
reformation  to  lift  on  high  the  banner  of  Christ's 
example  as  our  law,  to  re:'x)re  the  truth  of  thel 
power  of  Christ's  resurrection  as  it  makes  us  par[ 
takers  of  the  life  and  the   likeness  of  our  LordI 
Christian?  must  not  only  believe  in  the  full  unioil 
with  their  Sure!,/  for  their  reconciliation,  but  witl| 
their  Head  as  their  example  and  their  life.     The^^ 
must  really  represent  Christ  upon  earth,  and  /el 
men  see  in  the  members  how  the  Head  lived  wheii 
He  was  in  the  flesh.     Let  us  earnestly  pray  thai 
God's  children  everywhere  may  be  taught   to  setj 
their  holy  calling. 


IN  HIS  SELF-SACRIFICE, 


67 


And  all  ye  who  already  long  after  it,  oh,  fear  not 

to  yield  yourselves  to  God  in  the  great  act  of  a 

Christ-like  self-sacrifice !     In  conversion  you  gave 

yourself  to  God.     In  many  an  act  of  self-surrender 

since  then  you  have  again  given  yourselves  to  Him. 

But  experience  has  taught  you  how  much  is  still 

wanting.     Perhaps  you  never  kr^ew  how  entire  the 

self-sacrifice  must   be   and    could    be.     Come  now 

and  see  in  Christ  your  example,  and  in  His  sacrifice 

of  Himself  on  the  cross,  what  your  Father  expects  of 

\you.     Come  now  and  see  in  Christ — for  He  is  your 

'head  and  life — what  He  will  enable  you  to  he  and 

do.     Belie\e  in  Him,  that  what  He  accomplished 

ton  earth  in  His  life  and  death  as  your  example,  He 

will  now  accomplish  in  you  from  heaven.     Offer 

yourself  to  the  Father  in  Christ,  with  the  desire  to 

be,  as  entirely  and  completely  as  He,  an   offering 

md  a  sacrifice  unto  God,  given  up  to  God  for  men, 

)xpect  Christ  to  work  this  in  you  and  to  maintain 

[it.     Let  your  relation  to  God  be  clear  and  distinct ; 

[you,  like  Christ,  wholly  given  up  to  Him.     Then  it 

jwill  no  longer  be  impossible   to  walk  in  love  as 

Christ  loved  us.     Then  all  your  intercou'^se  with 

[the  brethren  and  with  the  world  will  be  the  most 

[glorious  opportunity   of  proving  before   God    how 

completely   you   have  given  yourself   to  Him,  an 

[ottering  and  a  sacrifice  for  a  sweet-smelling  savour. 

0  my  God,  who  am  I  that  Thou  shouldest  have 
chosen  me  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  Thy 
[Son  in  His  self-sacrificing  love?     In  this  is  His 


"'1 


i  '  '1 

1      ! 


ill.-'    'I 


'  I    I 


y<\ 


1  I  : 


III 


m 


I  J 


f'\ 


mm, 

Ml 

iilll! 


I     (H'l:i! 


ii! 


68 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


divine  perfection  and  glory,  that  He  loved  not  His 
own  life,  but  freely  offered  it  for  us  to  Thee  in 
death.  And  in  this  I  may  be  like  Him  ;  in  a  walk 
in  love  I  may  prove  that  I  too  have  ofifered  myself 
wholly  to  God. 

0  my  Father,  Thy  purpose  is  mine ;  at  this 
solemn  moment  I  afifirm  anew  my  consecration  to 
Thee.  Not  in  my  own  strength,  but  in  the  strength 
of  Him  who  gave  Himself  for  me.  Because  Christ, 
my  example,  is  also  my  life,  I  venture  to  say  it : 
Father,  in  Christ,  like  Christ,  I  yield  myself  a 
sacrifice  to  Thee  for  men. 

Fatlier,  teach  me  how  Thou  wouldest  use  me  to 
manifest  Thy  love  to  the  world.  Thou  wilt  do  it 
by  filling  me  full  of  Thy  love.  Father,  do  it,  that 
I  may  walk  in  love,  even  as  Christ  loved  us.  May 
I  live  every  day  as  one  who  has  the  power  of  Thy 
Holy  Spirit  to  enable  me  to  love  every  one  with 
whom  I  come  into  contact,  under  every  possible 
viircumstance,  to  love  with  a  love  which  is  not  of 
me,  but  of  Thyself.     Amen. 


NOTE. 


One  of  the  most  earnest  and  successful  labourers  in  the 
work  of  saving  the  lost  writes  as  follows :  '  If  I  had 
not  been  led  to  a  clearer  and  fuller  experience  of  what 
salvation  is,  I  never  could  have  gone  through  the  work 
of  the  Last  few  years.  But,  at  the  same  time,  one  thing 
has  continually  been  becoming  clearer,  that  we  cannot 
speak  of  unbroken  fellowship  with  our  Lord  unless  we 
give  up  ourselves,  and  that  without  ceasingt  to  a  world 


IN  HIS  SELF-SACRIFICE. 


69 


!  ?! 
|l_lLi 


lying  \u  the  wicked  one,  to  save  in  the  strength  of  our 
Lord  wliat  He  gives  us  to  save.  A  consecration  to  the 
Lord  without  a  consecration  to  our  neighbour  becometi  an 
ilhision  or  leads  to  fanaticism.  It  is  this  giving  up  of 
ourselves  to  the  world  to  be  its  light  and  salt,  to  love  it 
even  when  it  hates  us,  that  constitutes  for  all  really  con- 
secrated souls  the  true  battle  of  life.  To  -find  in  labour 
our  rest,  and  in  fighting  the  sin  around  us  in  the  power 
of  Jesus  our  highest  joy,  to  rejoice  more  in  the  ha[)piness 
of  others  than  our  own,  and  so  not  to  seek  anything  for 
ourselves,  but  everything  for  others,  this,  this  is  our 
holy  calling.' 

May  God  help  us  not  only  to  admire  such  thoughts, 
but  at  once  to  join  the  litile  bands  amor^  His  children 
who  are  really  giving  up  everything,  and  making  their 
life-work  the  winning  of  souls  fur  JesuH. 


t  I 


70 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


Ninth   Day. 


li 


I ' 


-  .i;l 


ML 


1! 


LIKE  CHRIST: 
Not  OC  t\)t  MQXlti. 

'These  are  in  the  world.'  'The  world  hath  hated  them, 
because  they  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the 
world/  *  They  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the 
world.* — Joim  xvii,  11,  14,  16. 

'  Even  as  He  is,  so  are  we  in  this  world.* — 1  John  iv.  17. 

IF  Jesus  was  not  of  the  world,  why  was  He  in 
the  world  ?  If  there  was  no  sympathy  between 
Him  and  the  world,  why  was  it  that  He  lived  in  it, 
and  did  not  remain  in  that  high  and  holy  and 
blessed  world  to  which  He  belonged  ?  The  answer 
is,  The  Father  had  sent  Him  into  the  world.  In 
these  two  expressions,  *  In  the  world,'  *  Not  of  the 
world,'  we  find  the  whole  secret  of  His  work  as 
Saviour,  of  His  glory  as  the  God-man. 

'  l7i  the  world ; '  in  human  nature,  because  God 
would  show  that  this  nature  belonged  to  Him,  and  j 
not  to  the  god  of  tliis  world,  that  it  was  most  fit  tc 
receive  the  divine  life,  and  in  this  divine  life  tc| 
reach  its  highest  glory. 

*  In  tJie  world ; '  in  fellowship  with  men,  to  enter! 
into  loving  relationship  with  them,  to  be  seen  and! 


II! 


NOT  OF  THE  WORLD. 


71 


hated  them, 
m  not  of  the 
m  not  of  the 

s  iv.  17. 

was  He  in 
hy  between 
lived  in  it, 
[  holy  and 
riie  answer 
world.  In 
Not  of  the 
is  work  as 

3cause  God 
o  Him,  and 
most  fit  to  I 
nne  life  to 

en,  to  enter! 
)e  seen  and! 


known  of  them,  and  thus  to  win  them  back  to  the 
Father. 

'  In  the  world  ;  *  in  the  struggle  with  the  powers 
which  rule  the  world,  to  learn  obedience,  and  so  to 
perfect  and  sanctify  human  nature. 

*  Not  of  the  world!  but  of  heaven,  to  manifest  and 
bring  nigh  the  life  that  is  in  God,  and  which  man 
had  lost,  that  men  might  see  and  long  for  it. 

'Not  of  the  world;*  witnessing  against  its  sin 
and  departure  from  God,  its  impotence  to  know  and 
please  God. 

'  Not  of  the  world ; '  founding  a  kingdom  entirely 

[heavenly  in  origin  and  nature,  entirely  independent 

I  of  all  that  the  world  holds  desirable  or  necessary, 

with  principles  and  laws  the  very  opposite  of  those 

[that  rule  in  the  world. 

'  Not  of  the  ivorld ; '  in  order  to  redeem  all  who 
[belong  to  Him,  and  bring  them  into  that  new  and 
[heavenly  kingdom  which  He  had  revealed. 

*  In  the  world,'  '  Not  of  the  world.'  In  these  two 
expressions  we  have  revealed  to  us  the  great 
mystery  of  the  person  and  work  of  the  Saviour. 
'Not  of  the  world,'  in  the  power  of  His  divine 
j holiness  judging   and   overcoming  it;  still   in   the 

world,  and  through  His  humanity  and  love  seeking 
[and  saving  all  that  can  be  saved.  The  most  entire 
[separation  from  the  world,  with  the  closest  fellow- 
iship  with  those  in  the  world ;  these  two  extremes 

meet  in  Jesus,  in  His  own  person  He  has  recon- 
icilod  them.     And  it  is  the  calling  of  the  Christian 

in   his  life   to   prove   that  these  two  dispositions, 


luM 


II 


{i 

■I 


I! 


mm 


i   i: 


.1;  !ii!; 


I  ! 


til 


nil! 


72 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


however  much  they  may  seem  at  variance,  can  in 
our  life  too  be  united  in  perfect  harmony.  In  each 
believer  there  must  be  seen  a  heavenly  life  shining 
out  through  earthly  forms. 

To  take  one  of  these  two  truths  and  exclusively 
cultivate  it,  is  not  so  difficult.  So  you  have  those 
who  have  taken  '  Not  of  the  world '  as  their  motto. 
From  the  earliest  ages,  when  people  thought  they 
must  fly  to  cloisters  and  deserts  to  serve  God,  to 
our  own  days,  when  some  seek  to  sliow  the  earnest- 
ness of  their  piety  by  severity  in  judging  all  that  is 
in  the  world,  there  have  been  those  who  counted 
this  the  only  true  religion.  There  was  separation 
from  sin,  but  then  there  was  also  no  fellowship 
with  sinners.  The  sinner  could  not  feel  that  he 
was  surrounded  with  the  atmosphere  of  a  tender 
heavenly  love.  It  was  a  one-sided  and  therefore  a 
defective  religion. 

Then  there  are  those  who,  on  the  other  side,  lay 
stress  on  '  Ij  the  world,'  and  very  specially  appeal 
to  the  words  of  the  apostle,  Tor  then  must  ye 
needs  go  out  of  the  world.'  They  think  that,  by 
showing  that  religion  does  not  make  us  unfriendl} 
or  unfit  to  enjoy  all  that  there  is  to  enjoy,  thev 
will  ind\ice  the  world  to  serve  God,  It  has  often 
happened  that  they  have  indeed  succeeded  in 
making  the  world  very  religious,  but  at  too  high  a 
price; — religion  became  very  worldly. 

The  true  follower  of  Jesus  must  combine  botl 
If  he  does  not  clearly  show  that  he  is  not  of  the 
world,   and  prove   the    greater    blessedness  of    a 


NOT  OF  THE  WORLD. 


7a 


1 : 


lic.ivenly  life,  how  will  he  convince  the  world  of 
sin,  or  prove  to  her  that  there  is  a  higher  life,  or 
teach  her  to  desire  what  she  does  not  yet  possess  ? 
Earnestness,  and  holiness,  and  separation  from  the 
spirit  of  the  world  must  characterize  him.  His 
lieavenly  spirit  must  manifest  that  he  belongs  to 
a  kingdom  not  of  this  world.  An  unworldly,  an 
other-worldl} ,  a  heavenly  spirit  must  breathe  in 
him. 

And  still  he  must  live  as  one  who  is  'in  the 
world.'  Expressly  placed  here  of  God,  among  those 
who  are  of  the  world,  to  win  their  hearts,  to 
acquire  influence  over  them,  and  to  communicate  to 
them  of  the  Spirit  which  is  in  him,  it  must  be  the 
great  study  of  his  life  how  he  can  fulfil  this  his 
mission.  Not,  as  the  wisdom  of  the  world  would 
teach,  by  yielding,  and  complying,  and  softening 
down  the  solemn  realities  of  religion,  will  he 
succeed.  No,  but  only  by  walking  in  the  footsteps 
of  Him  who  alone  can  teach  how  to  be  in  the  world 
and  yet  not  of  it.  Only  by  a  life  of  serving  and 
suffering  love,  in  which  the  Christian  distinctly 
confesses  that  the  glory  of  God  is  the  aim  of  his 
existence,  and  in  which,  full  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  he 
brings  men  into  direct  contact  with  the  warmth 
and  love  of  the  heavenly  life,  can  he  be  a  blessing 
to  the  world. 

Oh,  who  will  teach  us  the  heavenly  secret,  of 
uniting  every  day  in  our  lives  what  is  so  difficult 
to  unite, — to  be  in  the  world,  and  not  of  the  world  ? 
He  can  do  it  who  has  said :  *  They  are  not  of  the 


!  I 


I    :  I 


nil 


nil  I ' .  ■ 


i! 


! 


!  I: 


nlili.-, 


Jil!!!': 


„;i!iiilil 


ijii  ij:  ;!;;J 


mm 


ri[|!:|illiili  I   il 


74 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


world,  EVEN  AS  I  am  not  of  the  world.'  That 
'  EVEN  AS '  has  a  deeper  meaning  and  power  than 
we  know.  If  we  suffer  the  Holy  Spirit  to  unfold 
that  word  to  us,  we  shall  understand  what  it  is  to 
be  in  the  world  as  He  was  in  the  world.  That 
'  EVEN  A3 '  has  its  root  and  strength  in  a  life  union. 
In  it  we  shall  discover  the  divine  secret,  that  the 
more  entirely  one  is  not  of  the  world,  the  more  fit  he 
is  to  be  in  the  world.  The  freer  the  Church  is  of 
the  spirit  and  principles  of  the  world,  the  more 
influence  she  will  exert  in  it. 

The  life  of  the  world  is  self-pleasing  and  self- 
exaltation      The  life  of  heaven  is  holy,  self-denying 
love.     The  weakness  of  the  life  of  many  Christians 
who  seek  to  separate  themselves  from  the  world,  is 
that  they  have  too  much  of  the  spirit  of  the  world. 
They  seek  their  own  happiness  and  perfection  more 
than   ought  else.     Jesus   Christ   was    not    of    the 
world,  and  had  nothing  of  its  spirit ;  this  is  why  j 
He  could  love  sinners,  could  win  them  and  save 
them.     The  believer  is  as  little  of  the  world  as 
Christ.    The  Lord  says:  'Not  of  the  world,  even 
AS  I  am  not  of  the  world.'     In  his  new  nature  hel 
is  born  from  heaven,  has  the  life  and  love  of  heavarl 
in  him ;  his  supernatural  heavenly  life  gives  hin:l 
power  to  be  in  the  world  without  being  of  it.     Th(l 
disciple  who  believes  fully  in  the  Christ-likeness  oil 
his  inner  life,  will  experience  the  truth  of  it     Hef 
cultivates  and  gives  utterance  to  the  assurance 
'Even  as  Christ,  so  am  I  not  of  the  world,  because! 
I  am  in  Christ.'     He  understands  that  alone  ill 


NOT  OF  THE  WORLD. 


75 


close  union  with  Christ  can  his  separation  from  the 
world  be  maintained ;  in  as  far  as  Christ  lives  in 
him  can  he  lead  a  heavenly  life.  He  sees  that  the 
only  way  to  answer  to  his  calling  is,  on  the  one 
side,  as  crucified  to  the  world  to  withdraw  himself 
from  its  power ;  and,  on  the  other,  as  living  in  Christ 
to  go  into  it  and  bless  it.  He  lives  in  heaven  and 
walks  on  earth. 

Christians !  see  here  the  true  imitation  of  Jesus 
Christ.  'Wherefore  come  out  from  among  them, 
and  be  ye  separate,  saith  tlie  Lord.'  Then  the 
promise  is  fulfilled,  '  I  will  dwell  in  them  and  walk 

I  in  them.'  Then  Christ  sends  you,  as  the  Father 
sent  Him,  to  be  in  the  world  as  the  place  ordained 

[of  your  Father  to  glorify  Him,  and  to  make  known 
His  love.     Not  so  much  in  the  desire  to  leave  earth 

[for  heaven,  as  in  the  willingness  to  live  the  life  of 

[heaven  here  on  earth,  does  a  truly  unworldly,  a 

[heavenly  spirit,  manifest  itself. 

*  Not  of  the  world '  is   not  only  separation  from 

jand  testimony  against  the  world,  but  is  the  living 
manifestation  of  the  spirit,  and  the  love,  and  the 
)ower  of  the  other  world,  of  the  heaven  to  which 
we  belong,  in  its  divine  work  of  making  this  world 
3artaker  of  its  blessedness. 


■,  if 
fj>. 


1  t 


1 1 


i 


!  !         'fl 


0  Thou  great  High  Priest !  who  in  Thy  high- 
)riestly  power  didst  pray  for  us  to  the  Father,  as 
piose  who,  no  more  than  Thyself,  belong  to  the  world, 
ind  still  must  remain  in  it,  let  Thy  all-prevailing 
ntercessiop  »ow  be  effectual  in  our  behalf. 


'  i' 


■"i!;!l 


IB 


"Mil!  I 

inliilijlilil 


76 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


The  world  has  still  entrance  to  our  hearts,  iu| 
selfish  spirit  is  still  too  much  within  us.     Throiii,')i 
unbelief  the  new  nature  has  not  always  full  power  | 
Lord,   we   beseech   of    Tliee,  as   fruit   of  Thy   all 
powerful  intercession,  let  that  word  be  fully  realized  I 
in  us:  'Not  of  the  world,  evkn  as  I  am  not  of  the 
world.'     In  our  likeness  to  Thee  is  our  only  power] 
against  the  world. 

Lord,  we  can  only  be  like  Thee  when  we  are  one! 
with  Thee.     We  can  only  walk  like  Thee  when  we 
abide   in   Thee.     Blessed  Lord,  we  surrender  our[ 
selves  to  abide  in  Thee  alone.     A  life  entirely  given 
to  Thee  Thou  dost  take  entire  possession  of.     Let 
Thy  Holy   Spirit,   who   dwells   in  us,  unite  us  sol 
closely  with  Thyself  that  we  may  always  live  as  not! 
of  the  world.     And  let  Thy  Spirit  so  make  known  tol 
us  Thy  work  in  the  world,  that  it  may  be  our  joy  inl 
deep  humility  and  fervent  love   to  exhibit  to  alll 
what  a  blessed  life  there  is  in  the  world  for  thosel 
who  are  not  of  the  world.     May  the  proof  that  wl 
are  not  of  the  world  be  the  tenderness  and  fervenrjj 
with   which,  like  Thee,  we   sacrifice  ourselves  toij 
those  who  are  in  the  world.     Amen. 


!l 


IN  HIS  U£AV£NLY  MISSION. 


77 


Tenth  Day. 


<•  f  til 


fl 


if 


t  1 


In 


LIKE  CHRIST: 

'Af  Thou  hMt  sent  me  into  the  world,  even  so  have  I  also 
[sent  them  into  the  world.* — John  xvii.  18. 

'  As  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  yon.* — John  xx.  21 . 

rpHE  Lord  Jesus   lived   here   on   earth   under  a 

-L      deep    consciousness     of     having    a    mission 

jfrom   His  Father  to   fulfil.     He   continually  used 

tiie  expression,  '  The  Father  liath   sent  me.'  ^     He 

knew  what  this  mission  was.     He  knew  the  Father 

[had  chosen  Him,  and  sent  Him  into  the  world  with 

ilie  one  ])urpose  of  fulfilling  that  mission,  and  He 

Ik  new   the   Father  would    give   Him   all    that   He 

[nr'<'(Ie(l  for  it.     Faith   in   the  Father  having   sent 

I  Him  was  the  motive  and  power  for  all  that  He  did. 

In    earthly    things    it    is    a   great   help    if    an 

Innibassador   knows   clearly    what    his   mission    is; 

It  hat   he   lias  nothing   to  do  but    to    care    for    its 

laceoinplisluuent ;    and   that  he   has   given  himself 

|un(lividedly    to    do    this    one    thing.      For    the 

^  It  will  repay  the  trouble  to  coniiiare  carefully  the  following 

iissa-es  :  John  v.  24,  30,  37,  38,  vi.  38,  39,  40,  44,  vii.  16,  28, 

2!t.  .'}3,  viii.   16.   18,  26,  29,   42,  ix.   4,  xi.   42,   xii.   44,  45,    49, 

fiii.   20,    xiv.   24,   xv.  21,    xvi.    25,    xvii.    8,    18,   21,   23,    25, 

(X.  21,     Chii«t  waiittMl  lueu  to  know  that  He  did  not  act  indepeu- 

^leiitly,   but  on   behalf  of  Another  who  had  sent    Him.      The 

iiiM  iousness  of  a  niiiiaion  never  lefc  Him  for  a  moment. 


!  1!:l 


ITf' 


I 


f>m 


^§ 


i  in 


HL:: 


78 


LIKE  CUfilST  : 


Christian   it  is  of  no  less   consequence   that 
should  know  that  he  has  a  mission,  what  its  natu; 
is,  and  how  he  is  to  accomplish  it. 

Our  heavenly  mission  is  one  of  the  most  glorid 
parts    of  our  conformity  to  our  Lord.     He  sa^ 
it  plainly   in    the    most   solemn  moments  of 
life ;  '  that  even  as  the  Father  sent  Him/  so 
sends  His  disciples.     He  says  it  to  the  Father 
His  high  -  priestly    prayer,   as   the   ground    up 
which  He  adks  for  their  keeping  and  sanctificatioi| 
He  says  it  to  the  disciples  after  His  resurrectio!i| 
as  the  ground  on  which  they   are  to  receive 
Holy  Spirit.     Nothing  will  help  us  more  to  kno 
and  fulfil  our  mission  than  to  realize  how  perfecllj 
it  corresponds  to  the  mission  of  Christ,  how  thej 
are,  in  fact,  identical. 

Our  mission  is  like  His  in  its  object.     Why  d^ 
the  Father  send  His  Son  ?     To  make  known  El'^ 
love  and  His  will  in  the  salvation  of  sinners.     H 
was  to  do  this,  not  alone  by  word  and  precept,  M 
in    His  own  person,  disposition,   and   conduct 
exhibit  the    Father's    holy    love.     He    was   so 
represent  the  unseen  Father  in  heaven,  that  mfj 
on  earth  might  know  what  like  the  Father  was. 

After  the  Lord  had    fulfilled   His  mission 
ascended  into  heaven,  and   became   to  the    woi 
like  the  Father,  the  Unseen  One.     And  now  He  h 
made  over  His  mission  to  His  disciples,  after  ha> 
shown   them   how    to   fulfil   it.       They    must 
represent  Him,  the  Invisible  One,  that  from  seei 
them  men  can  judge  what  He  is.     Every  Christi 


IN  HIS  HEAVENLY  MISSION. 


70 


3f  sinners.     1! 


bst  80  be  the  image  of  Jesus — must  so  exhibit  in 
bs  person  and  conduct  the  same  love  to  sinners, 
id  desire  for  their  salvation,  as  animated  Christ, 
lat  from  them  the  world  may  know  what  like 
jrist  is.  Oh,  my  soul !  take  time  to  realize  these 
»avenly  thoughts :  Our  mission  is  like  Christ's  in 
object,  the  showing  forth  of  the  holy  love  of 
javen  in  earthly  form. 

Like  Christ's  in  Us  origin  too.  It  was  the 
itlier's  love  that  chose  Christ  for  this  work,  and 
)unted  Him  worthy  of  such  honour  and  trust. 
^ii  also  are  chosen  by  Christ  for  this  work. 
|very  redeemed  one  knows  that  it  was  not  he  who 
)ug]it  the  Lord,  but  the  Ix)rd  who  sought  and 
lose  him.  lu  that  seeking  and  drawing  the  Lord 
id  expressely  this  heavenly  mission  in  view.  *  Ye 
ive  not  chosen  me,  but  I  have  chosen  you  and 
lained  you,  that  ye  should  go  and  bring  forth  fruit.* 
Believer !  whoever  thou  art,  and  wherever  thou 
idlest,  the  Lord,  who  knows  thee  and  thy  sur- 
)undings,  has  need  of  thee,  and  has  chosen  thee 
be  His  representative  in  the  circle  in  which 
lou  movest.  Fix  thy  heart  on  this.  He  has 
led  His  heart  on  thee  and  saved  thee,  in  order 
lat  thou  shouldest  bear  and  exhibit  to  those  who 
irround  thee. the  very  image  of  His  unseen  glory, 
^h,  think  of  this  origin  of  thy  heavenly  mission  in 
[is  everlasting  love,  as  His  had  its  origin  in  the 
}\e  of  the  Father.  Thy  mission  is  in  very  truth 
list  like  His. 
Like    it,   too,   in    the   fitting   for    it.      Every 


:\  i:: 


!   1- 


M. 


i    5;  I 


i{\': 


80 


LIKE  CHEIST : 


i>i    /J 


1 

I 
i 

1 

1 

;n 


Hii^: 


III 


ambassador  expects  to  be  supplied  with  all  that  he 
needs  for  his  embassy.  *  He  y:lio  hath  sent  me  is 
with  me.  The  Father  hath  not  left  me  alone ; ' 
thcit  word  tells  us  how,  when  the  Father  sent  the 
Son,  He  was  always  with  Him,  His  strength  and 
comfort.  Even  so  the  Church  of  Christ  in  her 
mission :  *  Go  ye  and  teach  all  nations,'  has  the 
promise :  '  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway.'  The  Christian 
need  never  hold  back  because  of  unfitness.  Tlie 
Lord  does  not  demand  anything  which  He  does  not 
give  the  power  to  perform.  Every  believer  may 
depend  on  it,  that  as  the  Father  gave  His  Holy 
Spirit  to  the  Son  to  fit  Him  for  His  work,  so  tlie 
Lord  Jesus  will  give  His  people  too  all  the  prepara- 
tion they  need.  The  grace  to  show  forth  Christ 
evermore,  to  exhibit  the  lovely  light  of  His  example 
and  likeness,  and  like  Christ  Himself  to  be  a 
Fountain  of  love  and  life  and  blessing  to  all  around, 
is  given  to  every  one  who  only  heartily  and  believ- 
ingly  takes  up  his  heavenly  calling.  In  this  too, 
that  the  sender  cares  for  all  that  is  needful  for  the 
sent  ones,  is  our  mission  like  His. 

And  like  also  in  the  consecraimi  which  it  demands. 
The  Lord  Jesus  gave  Himself  entirely  and  uii- 
dividedly  over  to  accomplish  His  work ;  He  lived 
for  it  alone.  '  I  must  work  the  work  of  Him  that 
sent  me  while  it  is  day ;  the  night  cometh  when 
no  man  can  work.'  The  Father's  mission  was  the 
only  reason  of  His  being  on  earth ;  for  that  alone 
He  would  live ;  to  reveal  to  mankind  what  a 
glorious  blessed  God  the  Father  in  heaven  was. 


IN  HIS  HEAVENLY  MISSION. 


^1 


As  with  JesuSj  so  with  us.  Christ's  mission  is  the 
only  reason  for  our  being  on  earth ;  were  it  not  lor 
tliat,  He  would  take  us  away.  Most  believers 
do  not  believe  this.  To  fulfil  Christ's  mission  is 
with  them  at  best  something  to  be  done  along  with 
(itlier  ti.ings,  for  which  it  is  difficult  to  find  time 
and  str(3ngth.  And  yet  it  is  so  certainly  true :  to 
accomplish  Christ's  mission  is  the  only  reason  of 
my  being  upon  earth.  Then  first  when  I  believe 
this,  and  like  my  Lord  in  His  mission  consecrate 
myself  undividedly  to  it,  shall  I  indeed  live  well- 
jileasing  to  Him.  This  heavenly  mission  is  so 
great  and  glorious,  that  without  an  entire  consecra- 
tion to  it  we  cannot  accomplish  it.  Without  this, 
the  powers  which  fit  us  for  it  cannot  take  posses- 
sion of  us.  V/ibhout  this,  we  have  no  liberty  to 
exjiect  the  Lord's  wonderful  help  and  the  fulfilment 
of  all  His  blessed  promises.  Just  as  with  Jesus, 
our  heavenly  mission  demands  nothing  less  than 
entire  consecration.  Am  I  prepared  for  this  ? 
Then  I  have  indeed  the  key  through  which  the 
holy  hidden  glories  of  this  word  of  Jesus  will  be 
revealed  to  my  experience  :  '  As  the  Father  sent  me, 
I  even  so  send  I  you.' 

0  brothers !  this  heavenly  mission  is  indeed  worthy 
that  we  devote  ourselves  entirely  to  it  as  the  only 
thing  we  live  for. 

0  Lord  Jesus !  Thou  didst  descend  from  heaven 

to  earth  to  show  us  what   the  life  of  heaven  is. 

[Thou  couldst  do  this  because  thou  wert  of  heaven. 

Thou  didst  bring  with  Thee  the  image  and  Spirit 


1:  =   ' 


82 


LIKE  CHlilST 


tl 


of  the  heavenly  life  to  earth.  Therefore  didst  Thoi; 
so  gloriously  exhibit  what  constitutes  the  very  glon 
of  heaven :  the  will  and  love  of  the  unseen  Father, 

Lord !  Thou  art  now  the  Invisible  One  in  heaven 
and  sendest  us  to  represent  Thee  in  Thy  heavenly 
glory  as  Saviour.  Thou  dost  ask  that  we  should  .s 
love  men  that  from  us  they  may  form  some  idea  oi 
how  Thou  lovest  them  in  heaven. 

Blessed  Lord  !  our  heart  cries  out :   How  canst 
Thou   send   us   with  such  a  calling?     How  c-^n-: 
Thou  expect  it  of  us  who  have  so  little  love  ?     How 
can  wc,  w}.o  are  of  the  ea.tl,  eartliy.show  what  ll,<H 
life  Of  heaven  is  ?  f^m 

Irecious  Saviour !  our  souls  do  bless  Thee  tlia; 
we  know  that  Tliou  dost  not  demand  more  tliiii 
Thou  givest.     Tliou   who  art  Thyself  the  Life  k 
heaven,    Thou    livest     Thyself     in     Thy    disciples. 
P)lessed  be  Thy  holy  name,  they  have  from  Tlieej 
Thy  Holy  Spirit  from  heaven  as  their  life-breatkl 
He    is    the    heavenly    life    of    the   soul:    whoevej 
surrenders  himself  to  the  leading  of  the  Spirit  cai 
fulfil  h'*'^   mission.     In  the  joy  and  power  of  tlifl 
Holy  Spirit  we  can  be  Thy  image-bearers,  can  sho»| 
to  men  in  some  measure  what  Thy  likeness  is. 

Lord,   teach  me   and  all  Thy  people  to  underl 
stand    tliat    we   are    not    of    tlie    world,   as    Tlioiil 
wert    not    of    the    world,   and    therefore    are   sen! 
of  Thee,  even  as  Thou  wert   sent   of  the   Fatliei] 
to  prove  in  our  life  that  v;e  are  of  that  world,  fiil 
of  love,  and  purity,  and  blessing,  of   which  The 
wert.     Auien. 


II 


w 
tl 


11 

I'< 
jG 

L 

of 

iitf 


ar 

hi 
id.' 

il 


ek 


M  I  III 


h\: 


;  didst  ThoD 
e  very  gloiy 
een  Father, 
le  in  he.aven,  I 
hy  heavenly 
kve  should  so 
some  idea  of 

:   How  canst 

How  ci>"^ 

love  ?     How 

low  what  tilt 

■■'■■:.-'        I 

3S  Thee  tliat 
d  more  than 

the  Life  o; 
hy    disciplcj 
e  from  TIkv 
r  life-breatl 
ul :    whoevev 
le  Spirit  ca[| 
30wer  of  tilt 
ers,  can  shu«j 
sness  is. 
)le  to  under] 
rid,   as    Tli( 
(3re    are   senil 
■  the   Fatlifll 
lat  world,  fill 

which  ThKl 


v  li 


'!    I 


AS  THE  ELECT  Oi^'  GOD. 


.?■»./: 


Eleventh   Day. 


83 


lA 


>i-- 


■^■% 


I'        V 


•     LIKE  CHRIST: 

^S  tlje  !£lfct  of  CKotJ* 


'Predc-iinated  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  His  Son,  that 
He  might  be  the  firstborn  among  many  brethren.'— Rom.  viii.  29. 

S^  I! [[TURK  teaches  us  a  personal  election.  It 
.iocs  this  not  only  in  single  passages;  its 
whole  history  of  the  working  out  here  in  time  of 
the  counsels  of  eternity  proves  it.  We  see  continu- 
ally how  the  whole  future  of  God's  kingdom  depends 
upon  the  faithful  filling  of  His  place  by  some  single 
person  ;  the  only  security  for  the  carrying  out  of 
(Jod's  purpose  is  His  foreordaining  of  the  individual. 
[In  predestination  alone  the  history  of  the  world  and 
[of  (Jod's  kingdom,  as  of  the  individual  believer,  has 
[its  sure  foundation.  ,  j 

There  a:e  Christians  who  cannot  see  this.     They 

[are  so  afraid  of  interfering  with  human  responsi- 

Ibility,  that  they  reject  the  doctrine  of  divine  pre- 

[.dtistination,  because  it  appears  to  rob  man  of  his 

lilicrty  of  will  and  action.     Scripture  does  not  share 

[his  fear.      It  speaks  in  one  place  of  man's  free  will 

IS  though   there   were   no   election,  in   another   of 

[election  as  though  there  were  no  free  will.      Thus 


!      i  '4'i\\  '■ 


,;; 


I    !V 


84 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


iiiiii 


!    I 


1  ^ 

M 

1      ■          .          - 

i  ' 

r, 

li 

i 

i    ■; 

i 

t 

!;l 

i 

it  teaches  us  that  we  must  hold  fast  both  these 
truths  alongside  each  other,  even  when  we  cannot 
understand  them,  or  make  them  perfectly  to  har- 
monize. In  the  light  of  eternity  the  solution  of 
the  mystery  will  be  given.  He  who  grasps  botli  in 
faith  will  speedily  experience  how  little  tliey  are  in 
conflict.  He  will  see  that  the  stronger  his  faith  is 
in  God's  everlasting  purpose,  the  more  his  courage 
for  work  will  be  strengthened ;  while,  on  the  other 
side,  the  more  he  works  and  is  blessed,  the  clearer 
it  will  become  that  all  is  of  God. 

For  this  reason  it  is  of  so  much  consequence  for 
a  believer  to  make  his  election  sure.    Tlie  Scriptures 
give  the  assurance  that  if   we   do   this,  '  we   shall 
never  stumble'  (It.  V.).     The  more  I  believe  notj 
only  in  general  that  I  am  elected  of  God,  but  see 
how  this  election  has  reference  to  every  part  of  mj 
calling,  the  more  shall  I  be   strengthened  in   thn 
conviction  that  God  Himself  will  perfect  His  work 
in  me,  and  that  therefore  it  is  possible  for  me  to| 
be  all  that  God  really  expects.     With  every  duty 
Scripture  lays  upon  me,   with  every  promise   fori 
whose  fulfilment  I  long,  I  will  go  to  find  in  Gods| 
purposes  tlie  firm  footing  upon  which  my  expecta- 
tions may  rest,  and  the  true  measure  by  which  thevj 
are  to  be  guided.     I  shall  understand  that  my  life 
on  earth  is  to  be  a  copy  of  the  heavenly  Mfe-plan 
that   the  Father  has  drawn  out,  of  what  I  am  m 
bo  on   earth.     Christian  !    make   your   calling  anfij 
election  sure ;  let  it  become  clear  to  you  that  yoi;! 
are  elected,  and  to  what ;  '  If  ye  do  these  thinp:! 


AS  THE  ELECT  OF  GOD. 


85 


=>  1 

* 


ye  shall  never  stumble.*  Quiet  communion  with 
God  on  the  ground  of  His  unchangeable  purpose 
imparts  to  the  soul  an  immoveable  firmness  that 
keeps  from  stumbling. 

One  of  the  most  blessed  expressions  in  regard  to 
God's  purpose  concerning  us  in  Christ  is  this  word : 
'  I*redestiiiated  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  His 
Sou.'  The  man  Christ  Jesus  is  the  elect  of  God ; 
ill  Him  election  has  its  beginning  and  ending.  *  In 
Him  we  are  chosen  ; '  for  the  sake  of  our  union 
witli  Him  and  to  His  glory  our  election  took  place. 
Tlie  believer  who  seeks  in  election  merely  the 
certainty  of  his  own  salvation,  or  relief  from  fear 
and  doubt,  knows  very  little  of  its  real  glory.  The 
purposes  of  election  embrace  all  the  riches  that  are 
prepared  for  us  in  Christ,  and  reach  to  every 
moment  and  every  need  of  our  lives.  *  Chosen  in 
Him  that  we  should  be  holy  and  blameless  before 
Him  in  love,'  it  is  only  when  the  connection  between 
election  and  sanctification  is  rightly  apprehended  in 
the  Church  that  the  doctrine  of  election  will  bring 
its  full  blessing  (2  Thess.  ii.  13  ;  1  Tet.  i  2X  It 
teaches  the  believer  how  it  is  Go<i  who  must  work 
all  in  him,  who  will  work  all  in  him,  and  how  he 
may  rely  even  in  the  smallest  matters  upon  the  un- 
changeable purpose  of  God  to  work  out  itself  in  the 
accomplishment  of  everything  that  He  expects  of 
His  people.  In  tliis  light  liie  word  '  Predestinated  to 
be  conformed  to  the  image  of  His  Son  '  gives  new 
strength  to  every  one  who  has  begun  to  take  what 
Christ  is  as  the  rule  of  what  lie  hinisdf  is  to  he. 


iMii 


ilii 


LIKE  CHRIST 


Christian  !  would  you  in  very  deed  be  like  Christ, 
fix  your  mind  Aipon  the  thought  of  how  certainly 
this  is  God's  will  concerning  you  ;  how  the  whole 
of  redemption  has  been  planned  with  the  view  of 
your    becoming    so ;    how    God's    purpose    is    the 
guarantee    that    your    desires    must    be    fulfilled 
There,  where  your  name  is  written  in  the  book  of 
life,  there  stands   also,   'Predestinated  to  be  con- 
formed to  the  image  of  His  Son.'     All  the  powers 
of  the  Dtity  which  have  already  wrought  together 
in    the    accomplishment  of   the    first   part  of   the 
eternal  purpose,  tlie  revealing  of  the  Father's  perfect 
likeness  in  the  mar   Christ  Jesus,  are  equally  en-! 
gaged  to  accomplish  the  second  part,  and  work  that  \ 
likeness  in  each  of  God's  children.     In  the  work  ot  i 
Christ  there  is  the  most  perfect  provision  possible  , 
for  the  carrying  nut  of  God's  purposes  in  this.     Ou>  Ju>t'|! 
union  to  Christ,  iield  fast  in  a  living  faith,  will  hSs 
an  all-prevailing  power.     We  can  depend  upon  ii 
as  something  ordained  with  a  divine  certainty,  an 
that  must  come  if  we  yield  ourselves  to  it.     ]Iii 
not  God  elected  us  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  i 
His  Son  ? 

It  can  easily  l>e  understood  what  a  powerful  ii,^- 
fluence  the  living  'consciousness  of  this  truth  w 
have.      It  teaches  u.s  to  give  up  ourselves  to  tK' 
Eternal  Will,  that  it  may,  with  divine  power,  ef!tH 
its  purpose  in  us.      It  shows  us  how  useless  an 
ini]>otent   our   own   efforts   are  to  accomplish   tli 
work  ;  all  that  is  of  God  must  nlso  be  thrmjh  Hi! 
He  who  is  the  beginning,  must  be  the  nrJddle  an 


"idii 


AS  THE  ELECT  OF  GOD. 


87 


be  like  Christ,] 
liow  certainly 
ow  the  whole  I 
1  the  view  oil 
rpose    is    the! 

be  fulfilled 
n  the  book  of| 
id  to  be  con- 
.11  the  powers! 
[)ught  togethei] 
i  part  of  the! 
'ather's  perfect 
re  equally  en- 
and  work  that 
In  the  work  ••! 
vision  possililc 
5  in  this.     0\i: 

faith,  will  lu 
epend  upon  i 

certainty,  aii' 
/es  to  it.  Hi 
;o  the  image 

a  powerful 
this  truth  wuj 
irselves  to  i\ 
le  power,  efie 
>w  useless  ai 
iccomplish  th| 
)e  thrmijh  Hii 
the  mMdle  ai^ 


bhe  end.  In  a  very  wonderful  manner  it  strengthens 
nir  faith  witli  a  holy  boldness  to  glory  in  God  alone, 
uid  to  expect  from  God  Himself  the  fulfilment  of 
jvery  promise  and  every  command,  of  every  part  of 
^he  purpose  of  His  blessed  will. 

And  where  does  this  likeness  to  Christ  consist  ? 

[n  Sonship.     It  is  to  the  image  of  His  Son  we  are 

to   be    conformed.     All  the    different   traits  of   a 

Jhristlike  life  resolve  themselves  into  this  one  as 

[heir  spring  and  end.     We  are  '  predestinated  unto 

he  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ.'     It  was 

,s  the  Son  Christ  lived  and  served  and  pleased  the 

•"ather.     It  is  only  as  a  son  with  the  spirit  of  His 

)\vn  Son  in  my  heart,  that  I  can  live  and  serve  and 

please  the  Father.     I  must  each  day  walk  in  the 

lull  and  clear  consciousness :  like  Christ,  I  am  a 

)n  of  the  Most  High  God,  born  from  above,  the 

iloved  of   the  Father.     As  a  son  the  Father  is 

igaged  to  provide  my  every  need.     As   a  son   I 

fve  in  dependence  and  trust,  in  love  and  obedience, 

joy  and  hope.     It  is  when  I  live  with  the  Father 

a  son,  that  it   becomes  possible   to  make  any 

icrifice  and  to  obey  every  command. 

Believer !  take  time  and  prayer  to  take  in  this 
ruth,  and  let  it  exercise  its  full  power  in  your  soul. 
et  the  Holy  Spirit  write  it  into  your  inmost  being, 
lut  you  are  predestinated  to  be  conformed  to  the 
lage  of  His  Son.  The  Father's  object  was  the 
)uour  of  His  Son,  '  that  He  might  be  the  firstborn 
long  many  brethren.'  Let  tliis  be  your  object  too 
all  your  life,  so  to  show  forth  the  image  of  your 


■V 

1 


!h;i 


I 


liiifi 


WMl. 


Ilfeiil! 


MB 


'wm 


88 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


Elder  Brother,  that  other  Christians  may  be  pointed 
to  Him  alone,  may  praise  Him  alone,  and  seek  to 
follow  Him  more  closely  too.  Let  it  be  the  fixed 
and  only  purpose  of  your  life,  the  great  object  of 
your  believing  prayer,  that  '  Christ  be  magnified  in 
my  body.'  This  will  give  you  new  confidence  to 
ask  and  expect  all  that  is  necessary  to  live  like 
Christ.  Your  conformity  to  Christ  will  be  one  of 
the  links  connecting  the  eternal  purpose  of  the 
Father  with  the  eternal  fulfilment  of  it  in  the 
glorifying  of  the  Son.  Your  conformity  to  Christ 
becomes  then  such  a  holy,  heavenly,  divine  work, 
that  you  realize  that  it  can  come  only  from  the 
Father,  but  that  from  Him  you  can  and  shall  most 
certainly  receive  it.  What  God's  purpose  has  de- 
creed, God's  power  will  perform.  What  God's  love 
has  ordained  and  commanded,  God's  love  will  most 
certainly  accomplish.  A  living  faith  in  His  eternal 
purpose  will  become  one  of  the  mightiest  powers  in 
urging  and  helping  us  to  live  like  Christ. 

0  Thou  incomprehensible  Being,  I  bow  before 
Thee  in  deepest  humility.  It  has  been  such  a 
strength  to  know  that  Thy  Son  has  chosen  me,  in 
order  to  send  me  into  the  world  as  Thou  hadst  sent 
Him.  But  here  Thou  hast  led  me  still  higher,  and 
shown  that  this  mission  to  be  as  He  was  in  the 
world  was  from  eternity  decreed  by  Thyself.  0 
my  God,  my  soul  bows  prostrate  in  the  dust  before 
Thee. 

Lord  God,  now  that  Thy  child  comes  to  Thee  for 


AS  THE  ELECT  OF  GOD. 


89 


the  fulfilment  of  Thy  own  purpose,  he  dares  confi- 
dently look  for  an  answer.  Thy  will  is  stronger  than 
every  hindrance.  The  faith  that  trusts  Thee  will 
not  be  put  to  shame.  Lord,  in  holy  reverence  and 
worship,  but  with  childlike  confidence  and  hope,  I 
utter  this  prayer :  Father,  give  me  the  desire  of  my 
soul,  conformity  to  the  image  of  Thy  Son ;  Father, 
likeness  to  Jesus,  this  is  what  my  soul  desires  of 
Thee.     Let  me,  like  Him,  be  Thy  holy  child. 

0  my  Father,  write  it  in  Thy  book  of  remem- 
brance, and  write  it  in  my  rememorance  too,  that 
I  have  asked  it  of  Thee  as  what  I  desire  above  all 
things,  conformity  to  the  image  of  Thy  Son. 

Father,  to  this  Thou  hast  chosen  me ;  Thou  wilt 
give  it  me,  to  Thine  own  and  His  glory>     Amen. 


m 


■h 


' 


llijljjijiill 


ii 


90 


LIKK  CHRIST: 


Twelfth  Day. 


LIKE  CHRIST: 

Hn  tiotns  (!^oti'£(  Mill. 

*  For  I  came  down  from  heaven,  not  to  do  my  own  will,  but 
the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me.*— John  vi.  38,  v.  30. 

IN  the  will  of  God  we  have  the  highest  expression 
of  His  divine  perfection,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  highest  energy  of  His  divine  power.  Creation 
owes  its  being  and  its  beauty  to  it ;  it  is  the  mani- 
festation of  God's  will.  In  all  nature  the  will  of 
God  is  done.  In  heaven  the  angels  find  their 
highest  blessedness  in  doing  God's  will.  For  this 
man  was  created  with  a  free  will,  in  order  that  he 
might  have  the  power  to  choose,  and  of  his  own 
accord  do  God's  will.  And,  lo !  deceived  by  the 
devil,  man  committed  the  great  sin  of  rather  doing 
his  own  than  God's  will.  Yes,  rather'  his  own  than 
God's  will !  in  this  is  the  root  and  the  wretchedness 
of  sin. 

Jesus  Christ  became  man  to  bring  us  back  to 
the  blessedness  of  doing  God'.'  will.  The  great 
object  of  redemption  was  to  make  us  and  our  will 
free  from  the  power  of  sin,  and  to  lead  us  again  to 
live  and  do  the  will  of  God.     In  His  life  on  earth 


IN  DOING  GODS  WILL. 


91 


He  si  lowed  us  wliat  it  is  to  live  only  for  the  will  of 
(lod;  in  His  death  and  resurrection  He  won  for  us 
tlie  ijower  to  live  and  do  the  will  of  God  as  He  had 
(lone. 

'Lo,  I  come  to  do  Thy  will,  0  God/  These 
words,  uttered  through  the  Holy  Spirit  by  the 
mouth  of  one  of  His  prophets  long  ages  before 
Clirist's  birth,  are  the  key  to  His  life  on  earth.  At 
Nazareth  in  the  carpenter's  shop,  at  the  Jordan 
with  John  the  Baptist,  in  the  wilderness  with 
Satan,  in  public  with  the  multitude,  in  living 
and  dyinj;,  it  was  this  that  inspired  and  guided 
and  gladdened  Him ;  the  glorious  will  of  the 
Father  was  to  be  accomplished  in  Him  and  by 
lliiii. 

Ix't  us  not  think  that  this  cost  Him  nothing. 
He  says  repeatedly,  'Nut  my  will,  but  the  will  of 
the  Father,'  to  let  us  understand  that  there  was  in 
very  deed  a  denial  of  His  own  will.  In  Gethsemane 
the  sacrifice  of  His  own  will  reached  its  height,  but 
wiiat  took  place  there  was  only  the  perfect  expres- 
sion of  what  had  rendered  His  whole  life  acceptable 
to  the  Father.  Not  herein  is  sin,  that  man  has  a 
ereature-will  different  from  the  Creator's,  but  in 
tliis,  that  he  clings  to  his  own  will  when  it  is  seen 
to  be  contrary  to  the  will  of  the  Creator.  As  man, 
Jesus  hafl  a  human  will,  the  natural,  though  not 
sinful  desires  which  belong  to  human  nature.  As 
man.  He  did  not  always  know  beforehand  what  the 
will  of  God  was.  He  had  to  wait,  and  be  taught 
of  God,  and  learn  from  time  to  time  what  that  will 


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LIKE  CHRIST : 


was.  But  when  the  will  of  His  Father  was  once 
known  to  Him,  then  He  was  always  ready  to  give 
up  His  own  human  will,  and  do  the  will  of  the 
Father.  It  was  this  that  constituted  the  perfection 
and  the  value  of  His  self-sacrifice.  He  had  once  for  all 
surrendered  Himself  as  a  man,  to  live  only  in  and 
for  the  will  of  God,  and  was  always  ready,  even  to 
the  sacrifice  of  Gethsemane  and  Calvary,  to  do  that 
will  alone. 

It  is  this  life  of  obedience,  wrought  out  by  the 
Lord  Jesus  in  the  flesh,  that  is  not  only  imputed  to 
us,  but  imparted  through  tlie  Holy  Spirit.  Through 
His  death  our  Lord  Jesus  has  atoned  for  our  self- 
will  and  disobedience.  It  was  by  conquering  it  in 
His  own  perfect  obedience  that  He  atoned  for  it. 
He  has  thus  not  only  blotted  out  the  guilt  of  our 
selfwill  before  God,  but  broken  its  power  in  us.  In 
His  resurrection  He  brought  from  the  dead  a  life 
that  had  conquered  and  destroyed  all  selfwill.  And 
the  believer  who  knows  the  power  of  Jesus'  death 
and  resurrection,  has  the  power  to  consecrate  him- 
self entirely  to  God's  will.  He  knows  that  the  call 
to  follow  Christ  means  nothing  less  than  to  take 
and  speak  the  words  of  the  Master  as  his  own 
solemn  vow,  '  I  seek  not  my  own  will,  but  the  will 
of  the  Father.' 

To  attain  this  we  must  begin  by  taking  the  same 
stand  that  our  Lord  did.  Take  God's  will  as  one 
great  whole,  as  the  only  thing  for  which  you  live  on 
earth.  Look  at  the  sun  and  moon,  the  grass  and 
flowerS)  see  what  glory  each  of  them  has,  only 


TI 


IN  DOING  GOD  S  WILL. 


93 


because  it  is  just  doing  God's  will  Bat  they  do  it 
without  knowing  it.  Thou  canst  do  it  still  more 
gloriously,  because  knowing  and  willing  to  do  it. 
liCt  thine  heart  be  filled  with  the  thought  of  the 
glory  of  God's  will  concerning  His  children,  and 
concerning  thee,  and  say  that  it  is  thy  one  purpose 
tliat  that  will  should  be  done  in  thee.  Yield  thy- 
self to  the  Father  frequently  and  distinctly,  with 
the  declaration  that  with  thee,  as  with  Jesus,  it  is  a 
settled  thing  that  His  beautiful  and  blessed  will 
must  and  shall  be  done.  Say  it  frequently  in  thy 
quiet  meditations,  with  a  joyful  and  trusting  heart : 
Praise  God  !  I  may  live  only  to  do  the  will  of 
God. 

Let  no  fear  keep  us  back  from  this.  Think  not 
that  this  will  be  too  hard  for  us  to  do;  God's 
will  only  seems  hard  as  long  as  we  look  at  it  from 
a  distance,  and  are  unwilling  to  submit  to  it.  Just 
look  again  how  beautiful  the  will  of  God  makes 
everything  in  nature.  Ask  yourself,  now  that  He 
loves  and  blesses  you  as  a  child,  if  it  is  right  to 
distrust  Him.  The  will  of  God  is  the  will  of  His 
love,  how  can  you  fear  to  surrender  yourself  to  it  ? 

Nor  let  the  fear  that  you  will  not  be  aWe  to 
obey  that  will,  keep  you  back.  The  Son  of  God 
came  on  earth  to  show  what  the  life  of  man  must 
and  may  become.  His  resurrection  life  gives  us 
power  to  live  as  He  lived.  Jesus  Christ  enables 
us,  through  His  Spirit,  to  walk  not  after  the  flesh, 
but  according  to  the  will  of  God. 

'I  come  to  do  Thy  will,  O  God:'  before  ever 


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94 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


the  Lord  Jesus  was  come  down  to  earth,  a  believer 
in  the  Old  Testament  was  able,  through  the  Spirit, 
to  speak  that  word  of  himself  as  well  as  for  Christ. 
Christ  took  it  up  and  filled  it  with  new  life-power. 
And  now  He  expects  of  His  redeemed  ones  that, 
since  He  has  been  on  earth,  they  will  even  more 
heartily  and  entirely  make  it  their  choice.  Let  u.s 
do  so.  We  must  not  first  try  and  see  whether,  in 
single  instances,  we  succeed  in  doing  God's  will,  in 
the  hope  of  afterwards  attaining  to  the  entire  con- 
secration that  can  say :  *  I  come  to  do  Thy  will.' 
No,  this  is  not  the  right  way.  Let  us  first  recognise 
God's  will  as  a  whole,  and  the  claims  it  has  upon 
us,  as  well  as  its  blessedness  and  glory.  Let  us 
surrender  ourselves  to  it  as  to  God  Himself,  and 
consider  it  as  one  of  the  first  articles  of  our  creed : 
I  am  in  the  world,  like  Clirist,  only  to  do  the 
Father's  will.  This  surrender  will  teach  us  with 
joy  to  accept  every  command  and  every  providence 
as  part  of  the  will  we  have  already  yielded  ourselves 
to.  This  surrender  will  give  us  courage  to  wait  for 
God's  sure  guidance  and  strength,  because  the  man 
who  lives  only  for  God's  will  may  depend  upon 
it  that  God  takes  him  for  his  reckoning.  This 
surrender  will  lead  us  deeper  into  the  consciousness 
of  our  utter  impotence,  but  also  deeper  into  the 
fellowship  and  the  likeness  of  the  beloved  Son,  and 
make  us  partakers  of  all  the  blessedness  and  love 
that  the  Son  has  prepared  for  us.  There  is  nothing 
that  will  bring  us  closer  to  God  in  union  to  Christ 
than  loving  and  keeping  and  doing  the  will  of  God. 


IN  DOING  GOD  8  WILU 


95 


Child  of  God !  one  of  the  first  marks  of  conformity 
to  Christ  is  obedience,  simple  and  implicit  obedience 
to  all  the  will  of  God.  Let  it  be  the  most  marked 
thing  in  thy  life.  Begin  by  a  willing  and  whole- 
hearted keeping  of  every  one  of  the  commands  of 
God's  holy  Word.  Go  on  to  a  very  tender  yielding 
to  everything  that  conscience  tells  thee  to  be  right, 
even  when  the  Word  does  not  directly  command  it. 
80  shalt  thou  lise  higher ;  a  hearty  obedience  to  the 
commandments,  as  far  as  thou  knowest  them,  and  a 
ready  obedience  to  conscience  wherever  it  speaks, 
are  the  preparation  for  that  divine  teaching  of  the 
Spirit  which  will  lead  thee  deeper  into  the  meaning 
and  application  of  the  Word,  and  into  a  more  direct 
and  spiritual  insight  into  Cod's  will  with  regard  to 
thyself  personally.  It  is  to  those  wlvo  obey  Him  God 
gives  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  whom  the  blessed 
will  of  God  becomes  the  light  that  shines  ever  more 
brightly  on  our  path.  '  If  any  man  will  do  His 
will,  he  shall  know.'  Blessed  will  of  God  !  blessed 
obedience  to  God's  will !  oh  that  we  knew  to  count 
and  keep  these  as  our  most  precious  treasures! 

And  if  ever  it  appear  too  hard  to  live  only  for 
God's  will,  let  us  remember  wherein  Christ  found 
His  strength :  it  was  because  it  was  t^ie  Father's 
will  that  the  Son  rejoiced  to  do  it.  'This  com- 
mandment have  I  received  of  my  Father*  This 
made  even  the  laying  down  of  His  life  possible. 
Our  union  to  Jesus,  and  our  calling  to  live  like  Him, 
ever  point  us  to  Hvi  Soiiship  as  the  secret  of  His 
life  and  strength.     Let  it  be  our  chief  desire  to  say 


\\^ 


' .  I 


■Mi 


i!! 


96 


UKB  CHRIST: 


each  day :  I  am  the  Father's  beloved  child,  and  to 
think  of  each  commandment  as  the  Father*8  will ;  a 
Cliristlike  sense  of  sonship  will  lead  to  a  Christ- 
like obedience. 

0  my  God,  I  thank  Thee  for  this  wondroug  gift, 
Thy  Son  become  man,  to  teach  us  how  man  may  do 
the  will  of  his  God.  I  thank  Thee  for  the  glorious 
calling  to  be  like  Him  in  this  too,  with  Him  to 
taste  the  blessedness  of  a  life  in  perfect  harmony 
with  Thy  glorious  and  perfect  will.  I  thank  Thee 
for  the  power  given  in  Christ  to  do  and  to  bear 
all  that  will.  I  thank  Thee  that  in  this  too  I  may 
be  like  the  first-begotten  Son. 

1  come  now,  0  my  Father,  afresh  to  take  up  this 
my  calling  in  childlike,  joyous  trust  and  love. 
Lord,  I  would  live  wholly  and  only  to  do  Thy  will. 
I  would  abide  in  the  Word  and  wait  upon  the 
Spirit.  I  would,  like  Thy  Son,  live  in  fellowship 
with  Thee  in  prayer,  in  the  firm  confidence  that 
Thou  wilt  day  by  day  make  me  to  know  Thy  will 
more  clearly.  0  my  Father,  let  this  my  desire  be 
acceptable  in  Thy  sight.  Keep  it  in  the  thoughts 
of  my  heart  for  ever.  Give  me  grace  with  true  joy 
continually  to  say  :  Not  my  will,  but  the  will  of  my 
Father  must  be  done :  I  am  here  on  the  earth  only 
to  do  the  will  of  my  God.     Amen. 


!i 


IN  HIS  COMPASSION. 


97 


Thirteenth    Day. 


I  » 


!i  t 


LIKE  CHRIST: 

'Then   Jesni  iMdd,  I  have  compasBion   on  the  mnltitade.* 

-Matt.  xv.  32. 

'  Shouldest  not  thou  also  have  had  compassion  on  thy  fellow- 
servant,  euen  as  I  had  compassion  ou  thee  ?'— Mxrr.  xviii.  32. 

ON  three  different  occasions  Matthew  tolls  ns 
that  our  Lort»'  was  moved  with  conijiassion  on 
tlie  multitude.  His  whole  life  was  a  manifestation 
of  th(i  compassion  with  which  He  had  looked  on 
the  sinner  from  everlasting,  and  of  the  tenderness 
with  which  He  was  moved  at  the  sij^ht  of  misery 
and  sorrow.  He  was  in  this  the  true  reflecti<»n  of 
OUT  compassionate  God,  of  the  father  who,  moved 
with  compassion  towards  his  prodigal  son,  fell  on 
his  neck  and  kissed  him. 

In  this  compassion  of  the  Lord  Jesus  we  can  see 
how  He  did  not  look  upon  the  will  of  (lod  He 
(ame  to  do  as  a  duty  or  an  oblifjfation,  but  had  tiiat 
divine  will  dwelling  within  Him  as  His  own,  in- 
siiiring  aud  ruling  all  His  sentinumts  and  motives. 
After  He  had  said,  '  I  came  from  heaven  not  to  do 
my  own  will,  but  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me,*  Hj^ 

G 


J 


i-^l; 


:•"! 


,;  J 


mm 


98 


LIKE  CllRIBT : 


III  ill 


liliiiiiiiili 


at  once  added,  *  And  this  is  the  mil  o!  the  Father, 
that  of  all  He  hath  given  me,  I  should  lose  nothing, 
but  should  raise  it  up  again  at  the  last  day.*  '  And 
this  is  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me,  that  every  one 
which  believcth  on  the  Son  may  have  everlasting 
life.'  For  the  Lord  Jesus  the  will  of  God  consisted 
not  in  certain  things  which  were  forbidden  or  com- 
manded. No,  He  had  entered  into  that  which  truly 
forms  the  very  heart  of  God's  will,  and  that  is,  that 
to  lost  sinners  He  should  give  eternal  lift  Because 
God  Himself  is  love,  His  will  is  that  love  should 
have  full  scope  in  the  salvation  of  sinners.  The 
Lord  Jesus  came  down  to  earth  in  order  to  manifest 
and  accomplish  this  will  of  God.  He  did  not  do 
this  as  a  servant  obeying  the  will  of  a  stranger.  In 
His  personal  life  and  all  His  dispositions  He  proved 
that  the  loving  will  of  His  Father  to  save  sinners 
was  His  own.  Not  only  His  death  on  Golgotha, 
but  just  as  much  tlie  compassion  in  which  Me  took 
and  bore  the  need  of  all  the  wretched,  and  the 
tenderness  of  His  intercourse  with  them,  was  the 
proof  that  the  Father's  will  had  truly  become  His 
own.  In  every  way  He  showed  that  life  was  of  no 
value  to  Him  but  as  the  opportunity  of  doing  the 
will  of  His  Father. 

Beloved  followers  of  Christ,  who  have  offered 
yourselves  to  imitate  Him,  let  the  will  of  the 
Father  be  to  you  what  it  was  to  your  Lord.  The 
will  of  the  Father  in  the  mission  of  His  Son  was 
the  manifestation  and  the  triumph  of  divine  com- 
passion in  the  salvation   of   lost  sinners.       Jesus 


IN  HIS  COMPASSION. 


99 


could  not  possibly  accomplish  this  will  in  any  other 
way  than  by  having  and  showing  this  compassion. 
Glides  will  is  for  its  what  it  was  for  Jesus :  the  salva- 
tion of  the  perishing.  It  ^is  impossible  for  us  to 
fulfil  that  will  otherwise  than  by  having,  and  bear- 
ing about,  and  showing  in  our  lives,  the  compassion 
of  our  God.  The  seeking  of  God's  will  must  not 
be  only  denying  ourselves  certain  things  which  God 
forbids,  and  doing  certain  works  which  God  com- 
mands, but  must  consist  specially  in  this,  that  we 
surrender  ourselves  to  have  the  same  mind  and 
disposition  towards  sinners  as  God  has,  and  that  we 
find  our  pleasure  and  joy  alone  in  living  for  this, 
I'y  the  most  personal  devotion  to  each  poor  perish- 
ing sinner  around  us,  and  by  our  helping  them  in 
compassionate  love,  we  can  show  that  the  will  of  God 
is  become  our  will.  With  the  compassionate  God 
as  our  Father,  with  Christ  who  was  so  often  moved 
with  compassion  as  our  life,  nothing  can  be  more 
just  than  the  command  that  the  life  of  eveiy 
Christian  should  be  one  of  compassionate  love. 

Compassion  is  the  spirit  of  love  which  is  awakened 
by  the  sight  of  need  or  wretchedness.  What  abun- 
dant occasion  is  there  every  day  for  the  practice  of 
this  heavenly  virtue,  and  what  a  need  of  it  in  a 
world  so  full  of  misery  and  sin !  Every  Christian 
ought  therefore  by  prayer  and  practice  to  cultivate 
a  compassionate  heart,  as  one  of  the  most  precious 
j  marks  of  likeness  to  the  blessed  Master.  Everlast- 
ing love  longs  to  give  itself  to  a  perishing  world, 
and  to  find  its  satisfaction  in  saving  the  lost.     It 


!    '■ 


100 


LI  KB  CIIIIIST: 


seeks  for  vessels  which  it  may  fill  with  the  love  of  God, 
and  send  out  amonff  the  dying  that  they  may  drink 
and  live  for  ever.  It  asks  hearts  to  fill  with  its 
own  tender  compassion  at  the  sight  of  all  the  need 
in  which  sinners  live,  hearts  that  will  reckon  it 
their  highest  blessedness,  as  the  dispensers  of  God's 
compassion,  to  live  entirely  to  bless  and  save 
sinners.  0  my  brother,  the  everlasting  compassion 
which  has  had  mercy  on  thee  calls  thee,  as  one 
who  has  obtained  mercy,  to  come  and  let  it  fill  .thee. 
It  will  fit  thee,  in  thy  compassion  on  all  around,  to 
be  a  witness  to  God's  compassionate  love. 

The  opportunity  for  showing  compassion  we  have 
all  around  us.  How  much  there  is  of  temporal 
want !  There  are  the  poor  and  the  sick,  widows  ami 
orphans,  distressed  and  despondent  souls,  who  need 
nothing  so  much  as  the  refreshment  a  compassionate 
heart  can  bring.  They  live  in  the  midst  of 
Christians,  and  sometimes  complain  that  it  is  as  if 
there  are  children  of  the  world  who  have  more 
sympathy  than  those  who  are  only  concerned  about 
their  own  salvation.  O  brothers,  pray  earnestly  for 
a  compassionate  heart,  always  on  the  look-out  for 
an  o]iportunity  of  doing  some  work  of  love,  always 
ready  to  be  an  instrument  of  the  divine  compas- 
sion. It  was  the  compassionate  sympathy  of  Jesus 
that  attracted  so  many  to  Him  upon  earth ;  that 
same  compassionate  tenderness  will  still,  more 
than  anything,  draw  souls  to  you  and  to  your 
Lord.^ 

^  See  note. 


UH  HIS  OOHFAbiSlOK. 


101 


And  how  much  of  spiritual  misery  surrounds  us 
oil  all  sides !  Here  is  a  poor  rich  man.  There  is 
a  foolish,  thoughtless  youth.  There  is  again  a  poor 
drunkard,  or  a  hopeless  unfortunate.  Or  perhaps 
none  of  these,  but  simply  people  entirely  wrapt 
\\\)  in  the  follies  of  the  world  which  surround  them. 
How  often  are  words  of  unloving  indifference,  or 
harsh  jud','ment,  or  slothful  hopelessness,  heard  con- 
cerning all  these !  The  compassionate  heart  is 
wauling.  Compassion  looks  upon  the  deepest 
niistjry  as  the  place  prepared  for  her  by  God,  and  is 
att  acted  by  it.  Compassion  never  wearies,  never 
^'ivus  up  hope.  Coni])as.sion  will  not  allow  itself  to 
be  rejected,  for  it  is  the  self-denying  love  of  Christ 
which  inspires  it. 

Tlie  Christian  does  not  confine  his  compassion  to 
liis  own  circle ;  he  has  a  large  heart.  His  Lord 
lias  shown  liini  the  whole  heathen  world  as  his  field 
of  labour.  He  seeks  to  be  acquainted  with  the 
circumstances  of  the  heathen :  he  carries  their 
burden  on  his  heart ;  he  is  really  moved  with  com- 
passion, and  means  to  help  them.  Whether  the 
hiatlienism  is  near  or  far  off',  whether  he  witnesses 
it  in  all  its  filth  and  degradation,  or  only  hears 
of  it,  compassionate  love  lives  only  to  accomplish 
(lod's  will  in  saving  the  perishing. 

Like  Chiiist  in  His  compassion:  let  this  now  be 
our  motto.  After  uttering  the  parable  of  the  Com- 
passionate Samaritan,  who, '  moved  with  compassion,' 
helped  the  wounded  strangcT,  the  Lord  said,  '  Go 
and  do  likewise.'     He  is  Himself  the  compassionate 


'11 


102 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


Samaritan,  who  speaks  to  every  one  of  us  whom  He 
has  saved,  '  Go  and  do  likewise.'  Even  as  I  have 
done  to  you,  do  ye  likewise.  We,  who  owe  every- 
thing  to  His  compassion,  who  profess  ourselves  His 
followers,  who  walk  in  His  footsteps  and  bear  His 
image,  oh  let  us  exhibit  His  compassion  to  the 
world.  "We  can  do  it.  He  lives  in  us ;  His  Spirit 
works  in  us.  Let  us  with  much  prayer  and  tiriii 
faith  look  to  His  example  as  the  sure  promise  of 
what  we  can  be.  It  will  be  to  Him  an  unspeak- 
able joy,  if  He  finds  us  prepared  for  it,  not  only  to 
show  His  compassion  to  us,  but  through  us  to  the 
world.  And  ours  will  be  the  unutterable  joy  of 
having  a  Christ-like  heart,  full  of  compassion  and  of 
great  mercy. 


0  my  Lord !  my  calling  is  becoming  almost  too 
high.  In  Thy  compassionate  love,  too,  I  must  follow 
and  imitate  and  reproduce  Thy  life.  In  the  com- 
passion wherewith  I  see  and  help  every  bodily  riiid 
spiritual  misery,  in  the  gentle,  tender  love  wherewith 
every  sinner  feels  that  I  long  to  bless  men,  must  tlie 
world  form  some  idea  of  Thy  compassion.  Most 
merciful  One !  forgive  me  that  the  world  has  seen 
80  little  of  it  in  me.  Most  mighty  lledeemer !  let 
Thy  compassion  not  only  save  me,  but  so  take  hold 
of  me  and  dwell  in  me  that  compassion  may  be  the 
very  breath  and  joy  of  my  life.  May  Thy  com- 
passion towards  me  be  within  me  a  living  fountain 
of  compassion  towards  others. 

Tvord  Jesus,  I  know  Thou  canst  only  give  this  on 


IN  UlS  COMI'ASSIUN. 


lua 


one  condition,  that  I  let  go  my  own  lift  and  my 
L'tlbrts  to  keep  and  sanctify  that  life,  and  suH'er  Thee 
to  Hve  in  me,  to  be  my  life.  Most  merciful  One, 
I  yield  myself  to  Th<?e !  Thou  hast  a  right  to  me, 
Thou  alone.  There  is  nothing  move  precious  to  me 
tliau  Thy  compassionate  countenance ;  wliat  can  bo 
iiu)re  blessed  than  to  be  like  Thee  ? 

Lord,  here  I  am.  I  have  tnith  in  TImic,  that 
Tliou  Thyself  wilt  teach  and  fit  me  to  obey  Thy 
word :  '  Thou  shouldest  have  had  compn  ision,  even  o^^ 
I  hud  compassion  on  thee.*  In  that  luith  T  go  out 
this  x^■.l•y  day  to  find  in  my  intercourse  with  others 
Mie  opportunity  of  showing  how  Thou  hast  loved 
lue.  In  that  faith  it  will  become  the  great  object 
of  my  life  to  win  men  to  Thee.     Amen. 


NOTE. 


'  Evil  can  only  be  overcome  by  the  contact  of  a  most 
personal  self-devotion,  never  by  a  love  that  stands  at  a 
distance.  "  Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth,"  Jesus  said  ;  ye 
yourselves  inst  as  you  are,  in  the  midst  of  society;  in  tvory 
place  and  every  momint  a  sanctifying  power  must  flow 
(lUt  from  you  and  your  presence.  Christ  IHmaelf  is  the 
life  and  the  light.  In  all  that  He  docs,  or  says,  or  suffers, 
it  is  always  Ilimself;  whoever  separates  ought  from  Him- 
self no  longer  preserves  it,  it  vanishes  in  his  hands.  And 
just  this  is  the  radical  error  of  our  modern  Christianity, 
^len  separate  the  words  and  works  of  Christ  from  Himself, 
and  so  it  comes  that  many,  with  all  they  do  as  Christians, 
!i:ive  never  found  Christ  Himself.  So  there  are  many 
who  truot  in  His  suffering  and  merit,  who  cannot 
show  that  they  have  any  real  fellowship  with  Him, 


ir^i    il« 


51  I. 


M 


m 


104 


LIKE  CIIKIST 


'!!i:*!'i 


^    Mi  ^ 
1    '  ■  li  i 

1  1       : 

:        :    '.II    ^ 
'       ;  'ill   ■' 

1         1  '  ■                        J' 

lliip'i:""  ■:; 

;  1       .     1  1 

or  truly  follow  Him.  Clirist  had  His  abode  not  only  in 
Cfina  of  Galilee,  but  al-o'in  Gethsemane  and  on  Calvary. 
Alas !  are  tiiere  not  many  who  make  their  boast  of  the 
cross,  and  yet  are  more  afraid  of  the  real  cross  than  they 
are  of  the  devil  ?  They  have  so  wisiiiy  arranged  their 
profession  of  Christ's  cross,  that  no  loss  to  their  honour, 
their  goods,  or  tiieir  liberty  can  ever  come  from  it. 
Chiist's  ttnc  and  actnal  imitation  must  once  again,  as 
in  the  ojileji  times,  become  the  standard  of  Ciiristcn- 
dom.  Only  and  alone  in  this  way  will  faith  again  conquci- 
nid)i'lief  and  superstition.  Many  are  labouring  hard  at 
ju'est-nt  to  prove  to  a  doubting  world  the  inspiration  ot 
Holy  Scripture,  the  truth  of  the  words  and  the  life  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  It  is  labour  in  vain,  to  try  and  prove  by 
words  and  argument  that  which  can  alone  be  made  hmivn 
by  its  own  self-evidencing  poivcr  and  ih  actual  presence  !  ■  Let 
the  proof  be  given  in  your  deeds,  that  the  spirit  of  tliu 
miracles  dwells  in  you  ;  ynyve  above  all  in  ijour  life,  find 
Jesus  Christ  is  continuing  in  you  His  heavenly  eternal  life  ; 
and  your  words  will  bring  many  to  believe.  But  if  ydu 
are  wanting  in  this  demonstration  of  the  Sjtirit  and  ot 
] lower,  be  not  surprised  if  the  world  bestow  little  atten- 
tion on  your  eloquent  arguments.  The  hour  is  come  tliat 
all  Christendom  must  rise  up  as  one  man,  and  iji  Ik 
power  of  Ch.  ist  repeat  over  again  what  Christ  Himself  did  (u 
a  perishing  world.  This  is  the  nued  there  is  for  tlio 
imitation  of  Jesus  Christ ;  this  is  the  only  valid  proof  for 
the  truth  of  Christianity.'  ^ 

^  Finm  M.  Diemer,  Een  nieuw  boek  van  de  navohjing  van  Jesm 
Chnstus, 


IN  HIS  ONENESS  WITH  THE  FATHER. 


105 


r 


Fourteenth   Day. 


LIKE  CHRIST 


k 


'  Holy  Father,  keep  through  Thine  own  name  those  whom  Thou 
hast  given  me,  that  they  may  be  one,  even  aa  we  are.  That  they 
all  may  be  one ;  even  as  Thon,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  Thee, 
that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us :  that  the  world  may  believe 
that  Thou  hast  sent  me.  And  the  glory  which  Thou  gavest  me 
I  have  given  them;  that  they  may  be  one  euen  aa  we  are  one. 
I  in  them,  and  Thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one; 
and  that  the  world  may  know  that  Thou  hattt  sent  me,  and 
hast  loved  them,  euen  aa  Thou  hast  loved  me.' — Juiin  xvii.  11, 
21,  -12. 

WHAT  an  unspeakable  treasure  we  have  in  this 
high-priestly  prayer !  There  the  heart  of 
'Icsus  is  laid  open  to  our  view,  and  we  see  what 
His  love  desires  for  us.  There  tlie  heavens  are 
iipeued  to  us,  and  we  learn  what  He  as  our  Inter- 
cessor is  continually  asking  and  obtaining  for  us 
from  the  Father. 

In  that  prayer  the  mutual  union  of  believers  has 
a  larger  place  than  anything  else.  In  His  prayer 
for  all  who  in  future  shall  believe,  this  is  the  chief 
petition,  vers.  20-26.  Thr^e  times  He  repeats  this 
prayer  for  their  unity. 


i    .s-,i 


L06 


UKE  CUKIST : 


1  l;i 


The  Lord  tells  us  plainly  why  He  desires  it  so 
strongly.  This  unity  is  tlie  only  convincing  proof  to 
the  world  that  the  Father  had  sent  Him.  With  all 
its  blindness,  the  world  knows  that  selfishness  is 
the  curse  of  sin.  It  helps  but  little  that  God's 
children  tell  that  they  are  born  again,  and  that  they 
are  happy,  that  they  can  do  wonders  in  Jesus' 
name,  or  can  prove  that  what  the  Scriptures  teacli 
is  the  truth.  When  the  world  sees  a  church  from 
which  selfishness  is  banished,  then  it  will  acknow- 
ledge the  divine  mission  of  Christ,  because  He  has 
wrought  such  a  wonder,  a  comnmnity  of  men  who 
truly  and  heartily  love  one  another. 

The  Lord  speaks  of  this  unity  three  times  as  the 
reflection  of  His  own  oneness  with  the  Father. 
He  knew  that  this  was  the  perfection  of  the  God- 
head :  the  Father  and  Son,  as  persons  separate,  and 
yet  perfectly  one  in  the  living  fellowship  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  And  He  cannot  imagine  anythinj^ 
higlier  than  this,  that  His  believing  people  should 
with  Him  and  in  Him  be  one  with  each  other,  even 
AS  He  and  the  Father  are  one. 

The  intercession  of  the  Lord  Jesus  avails  much ; 
it  is  all-prevailing.  What  He  asks  He  receives  of 
His  Father.  But  lo !  the  blessing  which  descends 
finds  no  entrance  in  hearts  where  there  is  no  opeu 
door,  no  place  prepared,  to  receive  it.  How  many 
believers  there  are  who  do  not  even  desire  to  be 
one  even  as  the  Father  and  the  Son  are  one !  They 
are  so  accustomed  to  a  life  of  selfishness  and  iui- 
perfect  love,  that  they  do  not  even  long  for  such 


IN  HIS  ON£N£SS  WITH  THE  FATHEIL 


107 


perfect  love:  they  put  off  that  union  until  they 
meet  in  heaven.  And  yet  the  Lord  thought  of  a 
life  on  earth  when  He  twice  said, '  That  the  world 
may  know.' 

That  'they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one.' 
The  Church  must  be  awakened  to  understand  and 
to  value  this  prayer  aright.  This  union  is  one  of 
life  and  love  at  once.  Some  explain  it  as  having 
reference  to  the  hidden  life-union  wliich  binds  all 
believers  even  under  external  divisions.  But  this 
is  not  what  the  Lord  means ;  He  speaks  of  some- 
thing that  the  world  can  see,  something  that 
resembles  the  union  between  God  the  Father  and 
God  the  Son.  The  hidden  unity  of  life  must  be 
muni  test  in  the  visible  unity  and  fellowship  of  love. 
Only  when  it  becomes  impossible  for  believers,  in 
the  different  smaller  circles  in  which  they  are 
associated,  not  to  live  in  the  full  oneness  of  love 
with  the  children  of  God  around  them ;  only  when 
they  learn  that  a  life  in  love  to  each  other,  such  as 
Christ's  to  us,  and  the  Father's  to  Him,  is  simple 
duty,  and  begin  to  cry  to  God  for  His  Holy  Spirit 
to  work  it  in  them,  then  only  will  there  be  a  hope 
<'f  change  in  this  resi^act.  The  fire  will  spread 
from  circle  to  circle  and  from  church  to  church, 
until  all  who  truly  do  the  will  of  God  will  con- 
secrate themselves  to  abide  in  love,  even  as  God  is 
h)ve. 

And  what  are  we  to  do  now,  while  we  wait  for 
and  wish  to  hasten  that  day  ?  Let  every  one  who 
lakes  up  earnestly  the  word  of  the  Master,  '  Even 


t0j 

;tj| 

;;;  ■  ■?■;■ 

m 

a 

J   ■' 

■"  ■    ;     >     i    i   ■ 

1% 


,  A 


i  ' 


:;  :ii' 


lOS 


LIKK  CIIUIST: 


AS  I,  SO  also  ye,'  let  him  begin  with  his  own  circle. 
And  in  that  circle  with  himself  first.  However 
weak  or  sickly,  liowever  perverse  or  trying  the 
members  of  Christ's  body  may  be  with  whom  he  is 
surrounded,  let  him  live  with  them  in  close  fellow- 
ship and  love.  Whether  they  are  willing  for  it  or 
not,  whether  they  accept  or  reject,  let  him  love 
them  with  a  Christ-like  love.  Yes,  to  love  them  as 
Christ  does  must  be  the  purpose  of  liis  life.  This 
love  will  find  an  echo  in  some  hearts  at  least,  aiul 
awaken  in  them  the  desire,  too,  to  seek  after  the 
life  of  love  and  perfect  oneness. 

But  what  discoveries  such  eftbrt  will  bring  of  tlu; 
impotence  of  the  believer,  who  has  been  liitherld 
satisfied  with  the  ordinary  Cliristian  life,  at  all  to 
reach  this  standard  !  He  will  soon  find  that  nothini; 
will  avail  but  a  personal,  undivided  consecration. 
To  have  a  love  like  Christ's,  I  must  truly  have  a  life 
like  Christ's  :  /  must  live  with  His  life.  The  lesson 
must  be  learnt  anew,  that  Christ  in  the  fullest  sense 
of  the  word  will  be  the  life  of  those  who  dare  to 
trust  Him  for  it.  Those  who  cannot  trust  with  a 
full  trust,  cannot  love  with  a  full  love. 

Believer,  listen  once  more  to  the  simple  way  to 
such  a  life.  First  of  all  acknowledge  your  calling 
to  live  and  love  just  like  Christ.  Confess  your 
inability  to  fulfil  this  calling,  even  in  the  very  least. 
Listen  to  the  word,  that  Christ  is  waiting  to  fit  you 
to  fulfil  this  calling,  if  you  will  give  yourself  unre- 
servedly to  Him.  Make  the  surrender  in  this,  tliat 
ponscious  of  being  utterly  unable  to  do  anything  in 


iiii'i 


\r.  .:!! 


IN  HIS  ONENESS  WITH  THE  FATIIER. 


100 


your  own  strength,  you  offer  yourself  to  your  Lord 
to  work  in  you  Imrli  to  will  and  to  do.  And  count 
then  most  confidently  upon  Him,  who  in  the  power 
of  His  unceasing  intercession  can  save  completely, 
to  work  in  you  what  He  has  asked  of  His  Fatlier 
for  you.  Yes,  count  on  Him  who  has  said  to  the 
Father,  *  Thou  in  me  and  I  in  them,  that  they  may 
Ixi.one,  EVEN  AS  we  are  one,'  that  He  will  manifest* 
His  life  in  you  with  heavenly  power.  As  you  live 
with  His  life,  you  will  love  with  His  love. 

1  beloved  fellow-Christians,  the  oneness  of  Christ 
witli  the  Father  is  our  model :  even  as  they,  so  must 
we  be  one.  Let  us  love  one  aiiother,  serve  one 
another,  bear  with  one  anf)lher.,  help  one  another, 
Hve  for  one  another.  For  this  our  love  is  too  small : 
l)iit  we  will  earnestly  pray  that  Christ  give  us  His 
love  wherewith  to  love.  With  God's  love  shed 
abroad  in  our  hearts  tlirough  the  Holy  Spirit,  we 
shall  be  so  one  tliat  tlie  world  will  know  that  it  is 
indeed  the  truth,  that  the  Father  sent  Christ  into 
the  world,  and  that  Christ  has  given  in  us  the  very 
life  and  love  of  heaven. 


H 


;;4  .■•■III-    . 


Holy  Fatlier,  we  know  now  with  what  petitions 
He,  wlio  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession,  continually 
!i]ti)ronclic.s  Thee.  It  is  for  the  perfect  unity  of 
His  disciples.  Father,  we  too  would  cry  to  Thee 
for  this  blessing.  Alas,  how  divided  is  Thy  Church  ! 
It  is  not  the  division  of  language  or  country  that 
we  deplore,  not  even  the  difTerence  of  doctrine  or 
teaching  that  so  much  grieves  us.     But,  Lord  1  the 


110 


LIES  CHRIST : 


''■t  ■,:■ 


want  of  that  unity  of  spirit  and  love  whereby  Thy 
Church  should  convince  the  world  that  she  is  from 
heaven. 

O  Lord !  we  desire  to  confess  before  Thee  with 
deep  shame  the  coldness,  and  selfishness,  and  dis- 
trust, and  bitterness  that  is  still  at  times  to  be  seen 
among  Thy  children.  We  confess  before  Thee  our 
•own  want  of  that  fervent  and  perfect  love  to  which 
Thou  hast  called  us.  0  forgive,  and  have  mercy 
upon  us. 

Lord  God !  visit  Thy  people.  It  is  through  the 
one  Spirit  that  we  can  know  and  show  our  unity 
in  the  one  Lord.  Let  Thy  Holy  Spirit '  Tork  power- 
fully in  Thy  believing  people  to  mak^  them  one. 
Let  it  be  felt  in  every  circle  where  God's  children 
meet  each  other,  how  indispensable  a  close  union  in 
the  love  of  Jesus  is.  And  let  my  heart,  too,  be 
delivered  from  self,  to  realize,  in  the  fellowship  with 
Thy  children,  how  we  are  one,  EVEN  as  Thou,  Father, 
and  Thy  Son  art  one.     Amen. 


iMi 


IN  HIS  DEPENDENCE  ON  TUE  FATHER. 


in 


Fifteenth  Day. 


LIKE  CHIilST: 

In  ©is  ©cjjentience  on  tftc  jfatfjcr^ 

*  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  yon,  The  Son  can  do  nothing  of 
HiniBelf,  but  what  He  seeth  the  Father  doing :  for  what  things 
soever  He  doeth,  these  the  Son  also  doeth  in  like  manner.  For 
the  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  showeth  Him  all  things  that 
Himself  doeth :  and  greater  works  than  these  will  He  show  Him, 
that  ye  may  marvel.' — John  v.  19,  20. 

'  I  know  mine  own,  and  mine  own  know  me,  even  aa  the  Father 
knoweth  me  and  I  know  the  Father.' — John  x.  16  (R.  V.). 

OUR  relation  to  Jesus  is  the  exact  counterpart  of 
His  to  the  Father.  And  so  the  words  in 
which  He  sets  forth  His  intercourse  with  tlie 
Father  have  their  truth  in  us  too.  And  as  the 
words  of  Jesus  in  John  v.  describe  the  n.itural 
relation  between  every  father  and  son,  whether 
on  eartli  or  in  heaven,  they  are  applicable  not  only 
to  the  Ouly-bcGfotten,  but  to  every  one  who  in  and 
Hke  Jesus  is  called  a  son  of  God. 

We  cannot  better  catcli  the  simple  truth  and 
force  of  the  ilhistration  than  by  thinking  of  Jesus 
with  His  earthly  father  in  the  carpenter's  shop 
learning  his  trade.  The  first  thing  you  notice  is 
the  entire  dependence :  *  The  son  can  do  nothing  of 


■  ■ ;  (■   j 

11 


r.ai 


ill 


112 


UKE  ClliUST : 


himself,  but  what  he  seeth  the  father  doing/  Then 
you  are  struck  by  the  implicit  obedience  that  just 
seeks  to  imitate  the  father :  '  for  whatsoever  things 
the  father  doeth,  these  doeth  the  son  in  like  manner.' 
You  then  notice  the  loving  intimacy  to  which  the 
father  admits  him,  keeping  back  none  of  his  secrets : 
*  for  the  father  loveth  the  son,  and  showeth  him  all 
things  that  himself  doeth.'  And  in  this  dependent 
obedience  on  his  son's  part,  and  the  loving  teaching 
on  the  father's  part,  you  have  the  pledge  of  an 
ever-growing  advance  to  greater  works:  step  by 
step  the  son  will  be  led  up  to  all  that  the  father 
himself  can  do :  '  Greater  works  than  these  will  he 
show  him,  that  ye  may  marvel.' 

In  this  picture  we  have  the  reflection  of  the 
relationship  between  God  the  Father  and  the  Son 
in  His  blessed  humanity.  If  His  human  nature  is 
to  be  something  real  and  true,  and  if  we  are  to 
understand  how  Christ  is  in  very  deed  to  be  our 
example,  we  must  believe  fully  in  what  our  blessed 
Lord  here  reveals  to  us  of  the  secrets  of  His  inner 
life.  The  words  He  speaks  are  literal  truth.  His 
dependence  on  the  Father  for  each  moment  of  His 
life  was  absolutely  and  intensely  real :  *  The  Son 
can  do  nothing  of  Himself,  but  what  He  seeth  the 
Father  doing.'  He  counted  it  no  humiliation  to 
wait  on  Him  for  His  commands :  He  rather  con- 
sidei^d  it  His  higliest  blessedness  to  let  Himself 
be  led  and  guided  of  i^he  Father  as  a  child.  And 
accordingly  He  held  Himself  bound  in  strictest 
obedience   to   say  anjjl  do  only  what    the  Father 


IN  HIS  DEPENDENCE  ON  TIJE  FATHER.  113 

showed  Him  :  *  Whatsoever  things  the  Father  doeth, 
these  the  Son  also  doeth  in  like  manner.' 

The  proof  of  this  is  the  exceeding  carefulness 
witli  which  in  everything  He  seeks  to  keep  to  Holy 
Scripture.  In  His  sufl'crings  He  will  endure  all  iu 
order  that  the  Scriptures  may  be  fulfilled.  For  this 
He  remained  the  whole  night  in  prayer.  Iu  such 
continued  prayer  He  presents  His  thoughts  to  the 
Father,  and  waits  for  the  answer,  that  He  nuiy  know 
tiie  Father's  will.  No  child  in  his  ignorance,  no 
slave  in  his  bondage,  was  ever  so  anxious  to  keep  to 
what  the  father  or  master  had  said,  as  the  Lord 
Jesus  was  to  follow  the  teaching  and  guidance  of 
His  Heavenly  Father.  On  this  account  the  Father 
kej)t  nothing  hid  from  Him :  the  entire  dependence 
and  willingness  always  to  learn  were  rewarded  with 
tlie  most  perfect  communication  of  all  the  Father's 
secrets.  'For  the  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and 
showeth  Him  all  things,  and  will  show  Him  greater 
works  tlian  these,  that  ye  may  marvel.'  The  Father 
liad  foimed  a  glorious  life  plan  for  the  Son,  that  in 
Him  the  Divine  life  might  be  shown  forth  in  the 
conditions  of  human  existence  :  this  plan  was  shown 
to  the  Son  piece  by  piece  until  at  last  all  was 
gloriously  accomplished. 

Child  of  (Jod,  it  is  not  only  for  the  only-begotten 
Son  that  a  life  plan  has  been  arranged,  but  for  each 
one  of  His  children.  Just  in  proportion  as  we  live 
in  more  or  less  entire  dependence  on  the  Father 
will  this  life  plan  be  more  or  less  perfectly  worked 
out  iu  our  lives.     The  nearer  the  believer  comes  to 

H 


114 


LIKK  C11H18T: 


this  entire  dependence  of  the  Son,  *  doing  nothing 
but  what  He  sees  the  Father  do/  and  then  to  His 
implicit  obedience,  'whatsoever  He  doeth,  doing 
these  in  like  manner/  so  much  more  will  the  pro- 
mise be  fulfilled  to  us  :  *  The  Father  showeth  Him 
all  things  that  He  Himself  doeth,  and  will  show  Him 
greater  works  than  these/  Like  Christ  !  that  word 
calls  us  to  a  life  of  conformity  to  the  Son  in  His 
blessed  dependence  on  the  Father.  Each  one  of  us 
is  invited  thus  to  live. 

To  sucli  a  life  in  dependence  on  the  Father,  tiie 
first  thing  that  is  necessary  is  a  firm  faith  that  He 
will  make  known  His  will  to  us.  I  think  this  is 
s(jmething  that  keeps  many  back :  they  cannot 
believe  that  the  Lord  cares  for  them  so  much  that 
He  will  indeed  give  Himself  the  trouble  every  day 
to  teach  them  and  to  make  known  to  them  His  will, 
just  as  He  did  to  Jesus.  Christian,  thou  art  of 
more  value  to  the  Father  than  thou  knowest.  Thou 
art  as  much  worth  as  the  price  He  paid  for  thee, — 
that  is,  the  blood  of  His  Son ;  He  therefore  attaches 
the  highest  value  to  the  least  thing  that  concerns 
tliee,  and  will  guide  thee  even  in  what  is  most  in- 
significant. He  longs  more  for  close  and  constant 
intercourse  with  thee  than  thou  canst  conceive.  He 
can  use  thee  for  His  glory,  and  make  something 
of  thee,  higher  than  thou  canst  understand.  The 
Father  loves  His  child,  and  shows  him  what  He 
does.  That  He  proved  in  Jesus ;  and  He  will  prove 
it  in  us  too.  There  must  only  be  the  surrender  to 
expect  His  teaching.     Through  His  Holy  Spirit  He 


ftothing 
to  His 
I,  doing 
XiG  pro- 
th  lliin 
ow  Him 
iiat  word 
L  in  His 
ane  of  us 


IN  HIS  DEi'KNDENCE  ON  THE  PATIIEU. 


115 


jrives  this  most  tenderly.  Without  removing  us 
from  our  circle,  the  Father  can  so  conform  us 
to  Christ's  image,  that  we  can  be  a  blcssiirj^  and  joy 
to  all.  Do  not  let  unbelief  of  God's  compassionate 
love  prevent  us  from  expecting  the  Father's 
^Miidance  in  all  things. 

Let  the  unwillingness  to  submit  yourself  as  little 
keep  you  l){ick.  This  is  the  second  great  hindrance. 
The  desire  for  independence  was  the  temptation  in 
|)aradise,  is  the  temptation  in  each  human  heart 
It  seems  hard  to  be  nothing,  to  know  nothing,  tt) 
will  nothing.  And  yet  it  is  so  blessed.  This 
(lejiendenue  brings  us  into  most  blessed  communion 
with  God :  of  us  it  becomes  true  as  of  Jesus,  '  The 
Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  showeth  Him  all  things 
whatsoever  He  doeth.'  This  dependence  takes  from 
us  all  care  and  responsibility :  we  have  only  to 
ol)ey  orders.  It  gives  real  power  and  strength  of 
will,  because  we  know  that  He  works  in  us  to  will 
and  to  do.  It  gives  us  the  blessed  assurance  that 
our  work  will  succeed,  because  we  have  allowed 
God  alone  to  take  charge  of  it. 

]\ly  brother,  if  you  have  hitherto  known  but 
little  of  this  life  of  conscious  dependence  and  simple 
ohedience,  begin  to-day.  Let  your  Saviour  be  your 
example  in  this.  It  is  His  blessed  will  to  live  in 
you,  and  in  you  to  be  again  what  He  was  here  on 
earth.  He  only  longs  for  your  acquiescence  :  He 
will  work  it  in  you.  Offer  yourself  to  the  Father 
this  day,  after  the  example  of  the  First-begotten,  to 
do  nothing  of  yourself  but  only  what  the  Father 


I 


'  i 


m 


! 


!! 


■  I  f 


■1 


116 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


shows  you.  Fix  your  gaze  on  Jesus  as  also  in  this 
the  Example  and  Promise  of  what  you  shall  be. 
Adore  Him  who,  for  your  sake,  humbled  Himself, 
and  showed  how  blessed  the  dependent  life  can  be. 

Blessed  dependence !  it  is  indeed  the  disposition 
which  becomes  us  towards  such  a  God.  It  gives 
Him  the  glory  which  belongs  to  Him  as  God.  It 
keeps  the  soul  in  peace  and  rest,  for  it  allows  God 
to  care  for  all.  It  keeps  the  mind  quiet  and 
prepared  to  receive  and  use  the  Father's  teaching. 
And  it  is  so  gloriously  rewarded  in  the  deeper 
experience  of  holy  intercourse,  and  the  continued 
ever-advancing  discoveries  of  His  will  and  work 
with  which  the  Father  crowns  it.  Blessed  depend- 
ence !  in  wliich  the  Son  lived  on  earth,  thou  art 
the  desire  of  my  soul. 

Blessed  dependence !  it  was  because  Jesus  knew 
that  He  was  a  Son  that  He  thus  loved  to  be  dep(;nd- 
ent  on  the  Father.  Of  all  the  teaching  in  regard 
to  the  likeness  to  Christ  this  is  the  centre  and  sum: 
I  must  live  as  a  Son  with  my  Father.  If  I  stand 
clear  in  this  relationship,  as  a  son  realizing  that  the 
Father  is  everything  to  me,  a  sonlike  life,  living 
through  the  Father,  living  for  the  Father,  will  be  its 
natural  and  spontaneous  outcome. 


0  my  Father,  the  longer  I  fix  my  gaze  upon 
the  image  of  the  Son,  the  more  I  discover  the  fear- 
ful ruin  of  my  nature,  and  how  far  sin  has  estranged 
me  from  Thee.  To  be  dependent  upon  Thee :  there 
can  be  no  higher  blessedness  than  this  j  to  trust  in 


IN  HIS  DEPENDBNCE  ON  THE  FATHER. 


117 


all  things  in  a  God  such  as  Thou  art,  so  wise  and 
good,  so  rich  and  powerful.  And  lo !  it  has  become 
the  most  diflicult  thing  there  can  be ;  we  would 
rather  be  dependent  on  our  own  folly  than  the  God 
(if  all  glory.  Even  Thine  own  children,  0  most 
blessed  Father !  often  think  it  so  hard  to  give  up 
their  own  thoughts  and  will,  and  to  believe  that 
absolute  dependence  on  God,  to  the  very  least 
things,  is  alone  true  blessedness. 

Lord!  ;>nie  to  Thee  with  the  humble  prayer: 
teach  me  this.  He  who  purchased  with  His  own 
blood  for  me  the  everlasting  blessedness,  hath 
shown  me  in  His  own  life  wherein  that  blessedness 
consists.  And  I  know  He  will  now  lead  and  keep 
me  in  it.  0  my  Father !  in  Thy  Son  I  yield  my- 
self to  Thee,  to  be  made  like  Him,  like  Him  to  do 
notliing  of  myself,  but  what  I  see  the  Father  doing. 
Fatlier !  Thou  wilt  take  even  me  too,  like  the  First- 
born, and  for  His  sake,  into  Thy  training,  and  show 
me  what  Thou  doest.  0  my  God !  be  Thou  a  Father 
unto  me  as  uuto  Christy  and  let  me  be  Thy  son,  as 
He  was.     Amen. 


118 


LIKE  CllltlST: 


Sixteenth    Day. 


,i.'i 


LIKE    CHEIST: 

5n  ©is  l;Obe» 

*A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  That  ye  love  cue 
another ;  even  a&  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one 
another.'— John  xiii.  34. 

*  This  is  my  commandment.  That  ye  love  one  another,  even  as  1 
have  loved  you.'— John  xv.  12. 

EVEN  AS  :  We  begin  to  understand  somewhat  of 
the  blessedness  of  tliat  little  word.  It  is  not 
the  command  of  a  law  which  only  convinces  of  sin 
and  impotence ;  it  is  a  new  command  under  a  new 
covenant,  that  is  established  upon  better  promises. 
It  is  the  command  of  Him  who  asks  nothing  that 
He  has  not  provided,  and  now  offers  to  bestow. 
It  is  the  assurance  that  He  expects  nothing  from 
us,  that  He  does  not  work  in  us :  even  as  I  have 
loved  you,  and  every  moment  am  pouring  out  that 
love  upon  you  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  even  so  do 
ye  love  one  another.  T\m  measure,  the  strength, 
and  the  work  of  your  love  you  will  find  in  my  love 
to  you. 

Even  as  I  have  loved  you :  that  word  gives  us 
the  measure  of  the  love  wherewith  we  must  love 


IN  HIS  LOVE. 


119 


each  other.  True  love  knows  no  measure  :  it  gives 
Itself  entirely.  It  may  take  into  consideration  the 
time  and  measure  of  showing  it ;  but  love  itself  is 
ever  whole  and  undivided.  This  is  the  greatest  glory 
of  Divine  Love  that  we  have,  in  the  Father  and  Son, 
two  persons,  who  in  love  remain  One  Being,  each 
losing  Himself  in  the  other.  This  is  the  glory  of 
the  love  of  Jesus,  who  is  the  image  of  God,  that  He 
loves  us  even  as  the  Father  loves  Him.  And  tliis 
is  the  glory  of  brotlierly  love,  that  it  will  know  of 
no  other  law,  than  to  love  even  as  God  and  Christ. 
He  who  would  be  like  Christ  must  unhesitatingly 
accept  this  as  his  rule  of  life.  He  knows  how 
difficult,  how  impossible  it  often  is  thus  to  love 
brethren,  in  whom  there  is  so  much  that  is  oflFen- 
sive  or  unamiable.  Before  going  out  to  meet  them 
in  circumstances  where  his  love  may  be  tried,  he 
goes  in  secret  to  the  Lord,  and  with  his  eye  fixed 
on  his  own  sin  and  unworthiness  asks :  How  much 
owest  thou  thy  Lord  ?  He  goes  to  the  cross  and 
seeks  there  to  fathom  the  love  wherewith  the  Lord 
has  loved  hiuL  He  lets  the  light  of  the  immeasur- 
able love  of  Him  who  is  in  heaven,  his  Head  and 
his  Brother,  shine  in  upon  his  soul,  until  he  learns 
to  feel  Divine  Love  has  but  one  law :  love  seeks  not 
its  own,  love  gives  itself  wholly.  And  he  lays 
himself  on  the  altar  before  his  Lord :  even  as  Thou 
'  ast  loved  me,  so  will  I  love  the  brethren.  In 
virtue  of  mv  union  with  Jesus,  and  in  Jesus  with 
them,  there  can  be  no  question  of  anything  less :  I 
love  them  as  Christ  did.    Oh  that  Christians  would 


, 


m 

:]   '  Z 

'-.  '-  '' 

' "      f 

''if 

M 

li 

120 


LIKE  CHRIST  *. 


close  their  ears  to  all  the  reasonings  of  their  own 
hearts,  and  fix  their  eyes  only  on  the  law  wliich 
He  who  loves  them  has  promulgated  in  His  own 
example ;  they  would  realize  that  tliere  is  nothiiirr 
for  them  to  do  but  this, — to  accept  His  commands 
and  to  obey  them. 

Our  love  may  recognise  no  other  measure  than 
His,  because  His  love  is  the  strength  of  ours.  The 
love  of  Christ  is  no  mere  idea  or  sentiment ;  it  is  a 
real  divine  life  power.  As  long  as  the  Christian 
does  not  understand  this,  it  cannot  exert  its  full 
power  in  him.  But  when  his  faith  rises  to  realize 
that  Christ's  love  is  nothing  less  than  the  imparting 
of  Himself  and  His  love  to  the  beloved,  and  he 
becomes  rooted  in  this  love  as  the  source  whence 
his  life  derives  its  sustenance,  then  ho  sees  that  his 
Lord  simply  asks  that  he  should  allow  His  love  to 
flow  through  him.  He  must  live  in  a  Christ-given 
strength:  the  love  of  Christ  constrains  him,  and 
enables  him  to  love  as  He  did. 

From  this  love  of  Christ  the  Christian  also  learns 
wliat  the  work  of  his  love  to  the  brethren  must  be. 
We  have  already  had  occasion  to  speak  of  many 
manifestations  of  love :  its  loving  service,  its  self- 
denial,  its  meekness.  Love  is  the  root  of  all  tliese. 
It  teaches  the  disciple  to  look  upon. himself  as  really 
called  upon  to  be,  in  his  little  circle,  just  like  Jesus, 
the  one  who  lives  solely  to  love  and  help  others. 
Paul  prays  for  the  Philippians :  '  That  your  love 
may  abound  more  and  more  in  knowledge,  and  in 
all  judgment '  (Phil.  i.  9).     Love  does  not  compre- 


IN  HIS  LOVE. 


121 


hend  at  once  what  the  work  is  that  it  can  do. 
The  believer  who  prays  that  his  love  may  abound 
ill  knowledge,  and  really  takes  Christ's  example  as 
liis  rule  of  life,  will  be  taught  what  a  great  and 
<ilorit)us  work  there  is  for  him  to  do.  The  Church 
of  God,  and  every  child  of  God,  as  well  as  the  world, 
lias  an  unspeakable  need  of  love,  of  the  manifesta- 
tion of  Christ's  love.  The  Christian  who  really 
takes  the  Lord's  word,  *  Love  one  another,  even  as  I 
have  loved  you,*  as  a  command  that  must  be  obeyed, 
carries  about  a  power  for  blessing  and  life  for  all 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  Love  is  the 
explanation  of  the  whole  wonderful  life  of  Christ, 
and  of  the  wonder  of  His  death :  Divine  Love 
in  God's  cliildren  will  still  work  its  mighty 
wonders. 

'  Beliold  what  manner  of  love  ! '  '  Behold  how 
He  loved ! '  These  words  are  the  superscription 
over  the  love  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son.  They 
must  yet  become  the  keywords  to  the  life  of  every 
Christian.  They  will  be  so  where  in  livin<^  faith 
and  true  consecration  the  command  of  Clirist  to 
love,  even  as  He  loved,  is  accepted  as  the  law  of 
life.  As  early  as  the  call  of  Abraham  this  principle 
was  deposited  as  a  living  seed  in  God's  kingdom, 
that  what  God  is  for  us,  we  must  l)e  for  others.  *  I 
will  bless  thee,'  '  and  thou  shalt  be  a  bler,sing.'  If 
'  I  have  loved  you '  is  the  highest  manifestation  of 
what  God  is  for  us,  then  '  Even  so  love  ye '  must  be 
the  first  and  highest  expression  of  what  the  child 
of  God  must  be.     In  preaching,  as  in  the  life  of  the 


Ai  i 


mmmm 


122 


LIKK  CIIKIS  r : 


Church,  it  must  be  understood  :   The  love  wuich  lorec 
like  Christ  is  the  sign  of  true  disciplcship. 

Beloved  Christians  !  Christ  Jesus  longs  for  you 
in  order  to  make  you,  amid  those  who  surround 
you,  a  very  fountain  of  love.  The  love  of  Heaven 
would  fain  take  possession  of  you,  in  order  that,  in  and 
through  you,  it  may  work  its  blessed  work  on  earth. 
Yield  to  its  rule.  Offer  yourself  unreservedly  to  ils 
indwelling.  Honour  it  by  the  confident  assurance! 
that  it  can  teach  you  to  love  as  Jesus  loved.  As 
conformity  to  the  Lord  Jesus  must  be  the  chief 
mark  of  your  Christian  walk,  so  love  must  be  the 
chief  mark  of  that  conformity.  Be  not  disheartened 
if  you  do  not  attain  it  at  once.  Only  keep  fast 
hold  of  the  command,  '  Love,  even  as  I  have  loved 
you.'  It  takes  time  to  grow  into  it.  Take  time  in 
secret  to  gaze  on  that  image  of  love.  Take  time  in 
prayer  and  meditation,  to  fan  the  desire  for  it  into 
a  burning  flame.  Take  time  to  survey  all  around 
you,  whoever  they  be,  and  whatever  may  happen, 
with  this  one  thought,  *  I  must  love  them.'  Take 
time  to  become  conscious  of  your  union  with  your 
Lord,  that  every  fear  as  to  the  possibility  of  thus 
loving,  may  be  met  with  the  word  :  '  Have  not  I 
connnanded  you  :  Love  as  I  have  loved  '  ?  Chris- 
tian, take  time  in  loving  communion  with  Jesus 
your  loving  example,  and  you  will  joyfully  fulfil 
this  command,  too,  to  love  even  as  He  did. 

Lord  Jesus,  who  hast  loved  me  so  wonderfully, 
and  now  commandest  me    to  love  even  as  Thou, 


Pjip.! 


^1^ 


IN  HIS  LOVE. 


123 


behold  me  at  Thy  feet.  Joyfully  would  I  accept 
Thy  commands,  and  now  go  out  in  Thy  strength  to 
manifest  Thy  love  to  all. 

In  Thy  strength,  0  my  Lord !  Be  therefore 
pleased  to  reveal  Thy  love  to  me.  Shed  abroad 
Thy  love  in  my  heart  through  Thy  Holy  Spirit. 
Let  me  live  each  moment  in  the  experience  that  I 
am  the  beloved  of  God. 

Lord,  let  me  understand  that  I  can  love,  not  with 
my  own,  but  with  Thy  love.  Tliou  livest  in  me, 
Thy  Spirit  dwells  and  works  in  me;  from  Thee 
tliere  streams  into  me  tiie  love  with  which  I  can 
love  otiiers.  Thou  dost  only  ask  of  me  tliat  I 
understand  and  accept  my  calling,  and  that  I 
simender  myself  to  live  as  Thou  didst.  Thou 
wniildest  that  I  look  upon  my  old  nature  with  its 
sclfisliness  and  unlovingness  as  crucified,  and  in 
failli  prepare  to  do  as  Tliou  commandest. 

Lord,  I  do  it.  In  the  strength  of  my  Lord,  1 
would  live  to  love  even  as  Thou  hast  loved  vie.  Amen. 


i 

..?■ 

'ff 

iM 

I 


124 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


ill! 


I 


11 


!!r 


I:: 


1i|P*^i| 


I  III   <Lji  ktdUf'*'.     ^ 


I  I 


Seventeenth  Day. 


LIKE  CimiST: 

In  fftis  iPraiiing* 

*  And  in  the  morning,  rising  np  a  great  while  hefore  day.  He 
went  out,  and  departed  into  a  desert  place,  and  there  prayed.' 
— Mahk  i.  35. 

*  And  He  eaith  unto  them,  Gome  ye  yourselves  apart  into  a 
desert  place,  and  rest  awhile.' — Mark  vi.  31. 

IN  His  life  of  secret  prayer,  too,  my  Saviour  is  my 
example.  He  could  not  maintain  the  heavenly 
life  in  His  soul  without  continually  separating 
Himself  from  man,  and  communing  with  His 
Father.  With  the  heavenly  life  in  me  it  is  no 
otherwise :  it  has  the  same  need  of  entire  separa- 
tion from  man,  the  need  not  only  of  single 
moments,  but  of  time  enough  for  intercourse  with 
the  Fountain  of  Life,  the  Father  in  Heaven. 

It  was  at  the  commencement  of  His  public 
ministry  that  the  event  happened  which  so 
attracted  the  attention  of  His  disciples  that  they 
wrote  it  down.  After  a  day  full  of  wonders  and 
of  work  at  Capernaum  (vers.  21-32),  the  press  in 
the  evening  became  still  greater.  The  whole  town 
is  before  the  door ;  sick  are  healed,  and  devils  are 


IN  HIS  PKAYING. 


125 


cast  out.  It  is  late  before  they  get  to  sleep ;  in 
the  throng  there  is  little  time  for  quiet  or  for 
secret  prayer.  And  lo,  as  they  rise  early  in  the 
morning,  they  find  Him  gone.  In  the  silence  of 
the  night  He  has  gone  out  to  seek  a  place  of 
solitude  in  the  wilderness ;  when  they  find  Him 
there,  He  is  still  praying. 

And  why  did  my  Saviour  need  these  hours  of 
prayer  ?  Did  He  not  know  the  blessedness  of 
silently  lifting  up  His  soul  to  God  in  the  midst 
of  the  most  pressing  business  ?  Did  not  the 
Father  dwell  in  Him  ?  and  did  He  not  in  the 
deptli  of  His  heart  enjoy  unbroken  communion 
with  llim  ?  Yes,  that  hidden  life  was  indeed  His 
portion.  But  that  life,  as  subject  to  the  law  of 
humanity,  had  need  of  continual  refreshing  and 
renewing  from  the  fountain.  It  was  a  life  of 
dei)endence ;  just  because  it  was  strong  and  true, 
it  could  not  bear  the  loss  of  direct  and  constant 
intercourse  with  the  Father,  with  whom  and  in 
whom  it  had  its  being  and  its  blessedness. 

Wliat  a  lesson  for  every  Christian !  Much 
intercourse  with  man  is  dissipating,  and  dangerous 
to  our  spiritual  life :  it  brings  us  under  the 
inlhience  of  the  visible  and  temporal.  Nothing 
can  atone  for  the  loss  of  secret  and  direct  inter- 
course with  God.  Even  work  in  the  service  of 
God  and  of  love  is  exhausting :  we  cannot  bless 
otliers  without  power  going  out  from  us ;  this  must 
be  renewed  from  above.  The  law  of  the  manna, 
that  what   is  heavenly   cannot  remain  good  long 


126 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


upon  oarth,  but  must  day  by  day  be  renewed  afresli 
Iroui  heaven,  still  holds  yood.  Jesus  Christ  teadu-s 
it  us:  I  need  ev(3ry  day  time  to  have  communion 
with  my  Father  in  secret.  My  life  is  like  His, 
a  life  hid  in  heaven,  in  (Jod;  it  needs  time  day  liy 
day  to  be  fed  from  heaven.  It  is  from  hen  cat 
alone  that  the  power  to  lead  a  heavenly  life  on 
earth  can  come. 

And  what  may  have  been  the  prayers  that 
occupied  our  Lord  there  so  long  ?  If  I  could  hear 
Him  pray,  how  I  might  learn  how  I  too  must  pray ! 
God  be  praised !  of  His  prayers  we  have  more  than 
one  recorded,  that  in  them  too  we  might  learn  to 
follow  His  holy  example.  In  the  high-priestly 
prayer  (John  xvii.)  we  hear  Him  speak,  as  in  the 
deep  calm  of  heaven,  to  His  Father ;  in  His 
Gethsemane  prayer,  a  few  hours  later,  we  see 
Him  call  out  of  the  depths  of  trouble  and  darkness 
unto  God.  In  these  two  prayers  we  have  all :  the 
highest  and  the  deepest  that  there  is  to  be  found 
in  the  communion  of  prayer  between  Father  and 
Son. 

In  both  these  prayers  we  see  how  He  addresses 
God.  Each  time  it  is  Father  !  0  my  Father  !  In 
that  vvoid  lies  the  secret  of  all  prayer.  The  Lord 
knew  that  He  was  a  Son,  and  that  the  Father 
loved  Him :  \\  ith  that  word  He  placed  Himself  in 
the  full  light  of  the  Father's  countenance.  This 
was  to  Him  the  greatest  need  and  greatest  blessing' 
of  prayer,  to  enter  into  the  full  enjoyment  of  the 
Father's  love.     Let  it  be  thus  with  me  too.     Let 


■^ 


IN  HIS  PBAYINO. 


127 


the  principal  part  of  my  prayer  be,  the  holy  silence 
and  adoration  of  faith,  in  which  I  wait  upon  God, 
until  He  reveals  Himself  to  me,  and  gives  me, 
through  His  Spirit,  the  loving  assurance  that  He 
looks  down  upon  me  as  a  Father,  that  I  am  well- 
pleasing  to  Him.  He  who  in  prayer  has  not 
time  in  quietness  of  soul,  and  in  full  consciousness 
of  its  meaning,  to  say  Abba  Fathtir,  has  missed 
the  best  part  of  prayer.  It  is  in  i)ruyer  that  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit,  that  we  are  children  of  God, 
and  that  the  Father  draws  nigli  and  delights  in 
us,  must  be  exercised  and  strengthened.  *  If  our 
ht'iirt  condemn  us  not,  we  have  confidence  toward 
God ;  and  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  receive  of  Him, 
because  we  obey  Ilis  commandments,  and  do  the 
things  that  are  pleasing  in  His  sight.' 

In  both  these  prayers  I  also  see  what  He 
desired:  that  the  Father  may  he  glorified.  He 
speaks :  '  I  have  glorified  Thee ;  glorify  Thy  Son, 
that  Thy  Son  also  may  glorify  Thee.'  That  will 
assuredly  have  been  the  spirit  of  every  prayer; 
the  entire  surrender  of  Himself  only  to  live  for 
the  Father's  will  and  glory.  All  that  He  asked 
had  but  one  object,  'That  God  might  be  glorified.' 
In  this  too  He  is  my  example.  I  must  seek  to 
lii've  the  spirit  of  each  prayer  I  offer:  Father! 
bless  Thy  child,  and  glorify  Thy  grace  in  me,  only 
that  Thy  child  may  glorify  Thee.  Everything  in 
the  universe  must  show  forth  God's  glory.  The 
Christian  who  is  inspired  with  this  thought,  and 
avails  himself  of  prayer  to  express  it,  until  he  is 


1 

llpl  < 

1 ' ' ' 

!; 

1 

■i 

W-  '    ''' 

f 

i 

'  1 

1 

■    !  .'1  |;f 

1 

\4\ 


;j 


>.  lift 


128 


LIKE    CIIUIbT: 


thoroughly  imbued  with  it,  v/ill  have  power  in 
prayer.  Even  of  His  work  in  heaven  our  Lord 
says :  '  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that 
will  I  do,  that  the  Father  mcj  he  glorifial  in 
the  So7l'  0  my  soul,  learn  from  thy  Saviour, 
ere  ever  thou  pourest  out  thy  desires  in  prayer, 
first  to  yield  thyself  as  a  whole  burnt-oth'ring, 
with  the  one  object  that  God  may  be  gloriiied  iii 
thee. 

Then  thou  hast  sure  ground  on  which  to  pray. 
Thou  wilt  feel  the  stronj^  desire,  as  well  as  the  full 
liberty,  to  ask  the  Father  that  in  each  part  of 
Christ's  example,  in  each  feature  of  Christ's  iniiim;, 
thou  mayest  be  made  like  Him,  that  so  God  may 
be  glorified.  Thou  wilt  understand  how,  only  in 
continually  renewed  prayer,  the  soul  can  surrender 
itself  to  wait  that  God  may  from  heaven  work  in 
it  what  will  be  to  His  glory.  Because  Jesus 
surrendered  Himself  so  entirely  to  the  glory  of 
His  Father,  He  was  worthy  to  be  our  Mediator, 
and  could  in  His  high-priestly  prayer  ask  such 
great  blessings  for  His  people.  Learn  like  Jesus 
only  to  seek  God's  glory  in  prayer,  and  thou  shall 
become  a  true  intercessor,  who  can  not  only 
approach  the  throne  of  grace  with  his  own  needs, 
but  can  also  pray  for  others  the  etl'ectual  fervent 
prayer  of  a  rigliteous  man  that  availeth  nnich. 
The  words  which  the  Saviour  put  into  our  mouth 
in  the  Lord's  Prayer :  *  Thy  will  be  done,'  because 
He  was  made  like  unto  His  brethren  in  all  things, 
He   took  from  our  lips  again  and  made  His  own 


IN  HIS  GRAYING. 


129 


in  CJethseniano,  that  from  Him  we  mi^'ht  receive 
them  back  af,'ain,  in  tlie  power  of  His  atonement  and 
intercession,  and  so  he  able  to  pray  thera  even  as 
lie  liad  done.  Thou  too  shalt  become  Christlike  in 
that  i)riestly  intercession,  on  which  the  unity  and 
|iiosperity  of  the  Church  and  the  salvation  of 
sinners  so  much  depend. 

And  he  who  in  every  jtrayer  makes  Cod's  j^lory 
the  chief  object  will  also,  if  Cod  calls  him  to  it, 
have  strength  for  the  prayer  of  Cethsemane.  Every 
j)rayer  of  Christ  was  intercession,  because  He  had 
;,fiven  Himself  for  us ;  all  He  asked  and  received 
was  in  our  interest  ;  every  prayer  He  prayed  was 
in  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice.  Give  thyself  too 
wholly  to  (lod  for  man,  and  as  with  Jesus  so  witli 
us,  the  entire  sacrifice  of  ourselves  to  (Jod  in  every 
prayer  of  daily  life  is  the  only  preparation  for 
those  sinj^le  hours  of  soul-struggle  in  which  we 
waxy  be  called  to  some  special  fict  of  the  surrender 
of  tlie  will  that  costs  us  tears  and  anguish.  J^)Ut 
he  who  has  learnt  the  former  will  surely  receive 
strength  for  the  latter. 

()  my  brother!  if  thou  and  I  would  be  like 
Jesus,  we  must  esj)ccia]ly  coutemiilatc^  Jesus  pray- 
iiiL;  alone  in  the  wilderness.  T/icrc  is  iJic  scrrct  of 
If  is  wimderful  life.  What  He  did  and  spoke  to 
man,  was  first  spolxn  and  lived  tlirotiijh  iriflt  tlie 
Fcfhcr.  In  commujiion  with  Him,  the  anointing 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  was  each  (hiy  renewed.  He 
who  would  be  like  Him  in  his  walk  and  conversa- 
tion, must  simply  begin  here,  that  he  follows  Jesus 


1 


'  f  t 

^^R ' 

'0    \ 

^K 

i 

'              •  'il 

1  i  mm 

*  '^1 

■  ■  *i 

im 

'  :5! 

*  ^  'I  il 


130 


LIKE  CIIKIST: 


into  solitude.  Even  though  it  cost  the  sacrifice  of 
nif^lit  rest,  of  business,  of  intercourse  with  friends, 
the  time  must  he  found  to  he  alone  with  the  Father. 
]>esides  the  ordinary  hour  of  prayer,  lie  will  feel 
at  times  irresistibly  drawn  to  enter  into  the  holy 
place,  and  not  to  come  thence  until  it  has  anew 
been  revealed  to  him  that  God  is  his  portion.  In 
his  secret  chamber,  with  closed  door,  or  in  the 
solitude  of  the  wilderness,  God  must  be  found 
every  day,  and  our  fellowship  with  Him  renewed. 
If  Christ  needed  it,  how  much  more  we !  What  it 
was  to  Him  it  will  be  for  us. 

What  it  was  to  Him  is  apparent  from  what  is 
written  of  His  baptism :  *  It  came  to  pass  that, 
Jesus  also  being  baptized  and  prayiiirj,  the  heaven 
was  opened,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  in  a 
Ijodily  shape  like  a  dove  upon  Him  :  and  a  voice 
came  from  heaven  which  said.  Thou  art  ni} 
beloved  Son,  in  Thee  I  am  well  pleased.'  Yes, 
this  will  be  to  us  the  blessing  of  prayer :  the 
opened  heaven,  the  ba})tism  of  the  Spirit,  the 
Father's  voice,  the  blessed  assurance  of  His  love 
and  good  pleasure.  Js  ivith  Jesus,  so  with  vs ;  from 
above,  from  above,  w  dst  it  all  come  in  answer  to 
'prayer. 

Christlike  praying  in  secret  will  be  the  secret 
of  Christlike  living  in  public.  0  let  us  rise 
and  avail  ourselves  of  our  wonderful  privilege 
— the  Christlike  boldness  of  access  into  the 
Father's  presence,  the  Christlike  liberty  with  God 
in  prayer. 


IN  UIS  PRAYINO. 


131 


ifice  of 


0  my  blessed  Lord,  Thou  hast  called  me,  and  T 
have  followed  Thee,  that  I  may  bear  Thy  image  in 
all  tliinj^'S.  Daily  would  I  seek  Thy  footsteps,  that 
I  may  be  led  of  Thee  whithersoever  Thou  goest. 
This  day  I  have  found  them,  wet  with  the  dew  of 
iiiulit,  leading  to  the  wilderness.  There  I  have 
seen  Tliee  kneeling  for  hours  before  the  Father. 
There  I  have  heard  Tliee,  too,  in  prayer.  Thou 
•.'ivest  up  all  to  the  Father's  glory,  and  from 
the  Father  dost  ask,  and  expect,  and  receive  all. 
liii[)ress,  I  beseech  Thee,  this  wonderful  vision  deep 
in  my  soul :  my  Saviour  rising  up  a  great  while 
Ijefore  day  to  seek  communion  with  His  Father, 
and  to  ask  and  obtain  in  prayer  all  that  He 
needed  for  His  life  and  work. 

0  my  Lord !  who  am  I  that  I  may  thus  listen 
to  Thee  ?  Yea,  who  am  I  that  Tliou  dost  call  me 
to  )»iay,  even  as  Thou  hast  done  ?  Precious  Saviour, 
from  the  depths  of  my  heart  I  beseech  Thee, 
awaken  in  me  the  same  strong  need  of  secret 
prayer.  Convince  me  more  deeply  that,  as  with 
Thee  so  with  me,  the  Divine  life  cannot  attain  its 
full  growth  without  much  secret  communion  with 
my  heavenly  Father,  so  that  my  soul  may  indeed 
dwell  in  the  light  of  His  countenance.  Let  this 
conviction  awaken  in  me  such  burning  desire  that 
I  may  not  resu  until  each  day  utrenh  my  soul  has 
heen  baptized  in  the  streams  of  heavenly  love. 
0  Thou,  who  art  my  Example  and  Intercessor ! 
teach  me  to  pray  like  Thee.     Amen. 


.  yi 


V 


JH 


132 


LIKK    CHRIST: 


Pllf 


iHi 


ii!i 


I    ;&: 


Eighteenth  Da  v. 


LIKE  CHEIST: 

In  ©is  Wi%t  of  ^cripture^ 

'  That  all  things  must  be  fulfilled  which  were  written  in  the 
law  of  Moses,  and  the  Prophets,  and  in  the  Fsalins,  concerning 
me.' — LuKU  xxiv.  44. 

WHAT  the  Lord  Jesus  accomplished  here  on 
earth  as  man  He  owed  greatly  to  His  use 
of  the  Scriptures.  He  found  in  them  the  way 
marked  in  which  He  had  to  walk,  the  food  and 
the  strength  on  which  He  could  work,  the  weapon 
by  which  He  could  overcome  every  enemy.  Tiie 
Scriptures  were  indeed  indispensable  to  Him  tlirongli 
all  His  life  and  ])assion  :  from  beginning  to  en(^  His 
life  was  the  fulfilment  of  what  had  been  wriltcn 
of  Him  in  the  volume  of  the  Book. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  adduce  proofs  of  tliis. 
In  tlie  temptation  in  the  wilderness  it  was  by  His 
*  It  in  wriW'n  '  Lliat  He  conquered  Satan.  In  llis 
conflicts  with  the  Pharisees  He  continually  appealed 
to  the  Word:  '  Wliat  saith  the.  Scripture/'  '  II<n:e 
yc  not  read?'  'Is  it  not  written?'  In  His  inter- 
course with  His  disciples  it  was  always  from  the 
Scriptures    that    He    proved    the    certainty    and 


IN  HIS  USE  OF  SCUllTUKE. 


l:J3 


necessity  of  His  suflerings  and  resurrection :  '  Hoio 
ofhrrmsc  can  tin  Scripturea  he  fulfilled  V  And  in 
His  intercourse  witli  ICis  Father  in  His  last  sufler- 
ings, it  is  in  the  words  of  Scripture  that  He  pours 
out  the  complaint  of  being  forsaken,  and  then 
a;i;ain  commends  His  spirit  into  the  Father's  hands. 
All  this  has  a  very  deep  meaning.  He  was  Him- 
self the  livhig  Word.  He  had  the  Spirit  without 
iiuasure.  If  ever  any  one,  He  could  have  done 
wiiliout  the  written  Word.  And  yet  we  see  that  it 
is  everything  to  Him.  More  than  any  one  else  He 
thus  shows  us  that  the  life  of  Gud  in  Imman  fii^h 
anil  the  word  of  God  in  kuman  sparh  are  inseparably 
connected.  Jesus  would  not  have  been  what  He 
was,  could  not  have  done  what  He  did,  had  He  not 
yielded  Himself  step  by  step  to  be  led  and  sustained 
i)y  the  Word  of  God. 

Let  us  try  and  understand  what  this  teaclies  us. 
The  Word  of  God  is  more  than  once  called  Seed  ; 
it  is  the  seed  of  the  Divine  life.  We  know  what 
seed  is.  It  is  that  wonderful  organism  in  wliich 
the  life,  the  invisible  essence  of  a  plant  or  tree, 
is  so  concentrated  and  embodied  that  it  can  be 
taken  away  and  made  available  to  imi)art  the  life 
of  the  tree  elsewhere.  This  use  may  be  twofold. 
As  fruit  we  eat  it,  for  instance,  in  the  corn  that 
gives  us  bread  ;  and  the  life  of  the  plant  becomes 
our  nourishment  and  our  Hfe,  Or  we  sow  it,  and 
the  life  of  the  plant  re;iroduces  and  multii)lies 
itself.  In  both  aspects  the  Word  of  God  is 
seed, 


rie  ■ 


i  t 


'Jii 


v-'\ 


^^'\  ,^.li 


134 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


True  life  is  found  only  in  God.  But  that  life 
cannot  be  imparted  to  us  unless  set  before  us  in 
some  shape  in  which  we  know  and  apprehend  it. 
It  is  in  the  Word  of  God  that  the  Invisible  Divine 
life  takes  shape,  and  brings  itself  within  our  reacli, 
and  becomes  communicable.  The  life,  the  thoughts, 
the  sentiments,  the  power  of  God  are  embodied  in  His 
words.  And  it  is  only  through  His  Word  that  the 
life  of  God  can  really  enter  into  us.  His  Word  is 
the  seed  of  the  Heavenly  life. 

As  the  bread  of  life  we  eat  it,  we  feed  upon  it. 
In  eating  our  daily  bread,  the  body  takes  in  the 
nourishment  wliich  visible  nature,  the  sun  and 
the  earth,  prepared  for  us  in  the  seed-corn.  "We 
assimilate  it,  and  it  becomes  our  very  own,  part  of 
ourselves,  it  is  our  life.  In  feeding  upon  the  Word 
of  God,  the  powers  of  the  Heavenly  life  enter  into 
us,  and  become  our  very  own ;  we  assimilate  them, 
they  become  a  part  of  ourselves,  the  life  of  our 
life. 

Or  we  use  the  seed  to  plant.  The  words  of  God 
are  sown  in  our  heart.  They  have  a  Divine  power 
of  reproduction  and  nmltiplication.  The  very  life 
that  is  in  them,  the  Divine  thought,  or  disposition, 
or  powers  that  each  of  them  contains,  takes  roots  in 
the  believing  heart  and  grows  up ;  and  the  very 
thing  of  which  the  word  was  the  expression,  is 
produced  within  us.  The  words  of  God  are  the 
seeds  of  the  fulness  of  the  Divine  life. 

When  the  Lord  Jesus  was  made  man.  He  became 
f'Titirely  dependent  upon  the  Word  of  God,  He  sub- 


at  life 
us  in 
3nd  it. 
Divine 
■  reach, 
oughts, 
I  in  His 
hat  the 
^''ord  is 

upon  it. 
in  tlie 
iun   and 
■n.     We 
,  part  of 
he  Word 
[iter  into 
e  them, 
of   our 

s  of  God 
10  power 
very  life 
iposition, 

roots  in 
the  very 
3Ssion,  is 

are  the 

:e  became 
He  suh- 


IN  HIS  USE  OF  SCRIllUKE. 


135 


niitted  Himself  wholly  to  it.  His  mother  taught  it 
Him.  The  teachers  of  Nazareth  instructed  Him  in 
it.  In  meditation  and  prayer,  in  the  exercise  of 
obedience  and  faith,  He  was  led,  during  His  silent 
years  of  preparation,  to  understand  and  appropriate 
it.  The  Word  of  the  Father  was  to  the  Son  tlic  life 
of  His  soul.  What  He  said  in  the  wilderness  was 
spoken  from  His  inmost  personal  exjierience  :  *  Man 
■^hull  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word 
tliat  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God/  He  felt 
He  could  not  live  but  as  thaW^ord  brought  Him  tlie 
Hfe  of  the  Father.  His  whole  life  was  a  life  of  faith, 
a  depending  on  the  Word  of  the  Father.  The  Word 
was  to  Him  not  instead  of  the  Father,  but  the 
veliicle  for  the  living  fellowship  with  the  living  God. 
And  He  had  His  whole  mind  and  heart  so  filled 
with  it,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  could  at  eacli  moment 
tind  within  Him,  all  ready  for  use,  the  right  word  to 
sugujest  just  as  He  needed  it. 

CliiUl  of  God !  would  you  become  a  man  of  God, 
strong  in  faith,  full  of  blessing,  rich  in  fruit  to  tlie 
^lory  of  God,  be  full  of  the* Word  of  God.  Like 
<Jhrist,  make  the  Word  your  bread.  Let  it  dwell 
riclily  in  you.  Have  your  heart  full  of  it.  Feed  on 
it,  Believe  it.  Obey  it.  It  is  only  by  believing 
and  obeying  that  the  Word  can  enter  into  our  inward 
parts,  into  our  very  being.  Take  it  day  by  day  as 
tlie  Word  that  proceedeth,  not  lias  proceeded,  but 
})roceedeth,  is  proceeding  out  of  the  mouth  of  God, 
as  the  Word  of  the  living  God,  who  in  it  holds 
living  fellowship  with  His  children,  and  speaks  to 


1  I 


m 


136 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


them  in  living  power.  Take  your  thoughts  of  God's 
will,  and  God's  work,  and  God's  purpose  with  you, 
and  the  world,  not  from  the  Church,  not  from 
Cliristians  around  you,  but  from  the  Woixl  taught 
you  by  the  Father,  and  like  Christ,  you  will  be  able 
to  fulfil  all  that  is  written  in  the  Scripture  concerning 
you. 

In  Christ's  use  of  Scripture  the  most  remarkable 
thi!ig  is  this  :  He,  found  Himself  there ;  He  saiv  there 
His  own  image  and  likeness.  And  lie  gave  Himself 
to  the  fulfilment  of  what  He  found  wiitten  there. 
It  was  this  that  encouraged  Him  under  the  bitterest 
suderings,  and  strengthened  Him  for  the  most 
difficult  work.  Everywhere  He  saw  traced  by 
God's  own  hand  the  Divine  waymark :  throwjh. 
suffering  to  glory.  He  had  but  one  thought :  to  be 
what  the  Father  had  said  He  should  be,  to  have 
His  life  correspond  exactly  to  the  image  of  what  He 
should  be  as  He  found  it  in  the  Word  of  God. 

Disciple  of  Jesus,  in  the  Scriptures  thij  likeness  too 
is  to  he  found,  a  picture  of  wliat  the  Father  means 
thee  to  be.  Seek  to  have  a  dee[)  and  clear  impres- 
sion of  what  the  Father  says  in  His  word  that  thou 
shouldest  be.  If  this  is  once  fully  understood,  it  is 
inconceivable  what  courage  it  will  give  to  conquer 
every  difficulty.  To  know  :  it  is  ordained  of  God  ;  I 
have  seen  what  has  been  written  concerning  me  in 
God's  book  ;  I  liave  seen  the  image  of  what  I  am 
called  in  God's  counsel  to  be :  this  thought  inspires 
the  soul  with  a  faith  that  conquers  the  world. 

The  Lord  Jesus  found  His  own  image  not  only 


IN  HIS  USE  OF  RCRIPTUUE. 


1'^ 


o  I 


ill  the  institutions,  but  specially  in  the  believers  of 
the  Old  Testament.  Moses  and  Aaron,  Joshua, 
David,  and  the  Prophets,  were  types.  And  so  lie  is 
Himself  again  the  imaj^e  of  believers  in  the  New 
Testament.  It  is  especially  in  Him  and  His 
mimplc  that  we  must  find  our  own  image  in  the 
Scrii)tures.  '  To  be  changed  into  the  same  image, 
from  glory  to  glory,  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,'  we 
must  in  the  Scripture-glass  gaze  on  that  image  as 
uur  own.  In  order  to  accomplish  His  work  in 
us,  the  Spirit  teaches  us  to  tuke  Christ  as  in  very 
deed  our  Example,  and  to  gaze  on  every  feature  as 
the  promise  of  what  we  can  be. 

Blessed  the  Christian  who  has  truly  done  this ; 
who  has  not  only  found  Jesus  in  the  Scriptures,  but 
also  in  Ilis  image  the  promise  and  example  of  what 
he  is  to  become.  Blessed  the  Christian  who  yields 
liiuiself  to  be  taught  by  the  Holy  Spirit  not  to 
indulge  in  human  thoughts  as  to  tlie  Scriptures  and 
what  it  says  of  believers,  but  in  simpliidty  to  accei>t 
wliat  it  reveals  of  God's  thoughts  about  His 
tliildren. 

Ciiild  of  God  !  it  was  '  according  to  tlie  Scriptures' 
I  hat  Jesus  Christ  lived  and  died;  it  was  'according 
to  tlie  Scriptures'  that  He  was  raised  again  :  all  that 
the  Scriptures  said  He  must  do  or  suH'er  He  was 
ahle  to  accom[)lish,  because  He  knew  and  ob.^yed 
them.  All  that  the  Scriptures  had  promised  that 
the  Father  should  do  for  Him,  the  Father  did.  O 
^ivij  thyself  up  with  an  undi\ided  lieart  to  learn  in 
tlie   Scriptures  what  God  says  and  seeks  of  thee. 


\       I 


^1' 


I 


i    I 


I'h 


'  ^1 


138 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


Let  the  Scriptures  in  which  Jesus  found  every  day 
the  food  of  His  life,  be  thy  daily  food  and  meditation. 
Go  to  God's  Word  each  day  with  the  joyful  and  con- 
fident expectation,  that  through  the  blessed  Spirit, 
who  dwells  in  us,  the  Word  will  indeed  accomplish 
its  Divine  purpose  in  thee.  Every  word  of  God  is 
full  of  a  Divine  life  and  power.  Be  assured  that 
when  thou  dost  seek  to  use  the  Scriptures  as  Christ 
u.scil  them,  tliey  will  do  for  thee  what  they  did  for 
KTiTu  God  has  marked  out  the  plan  of  thy  life  in 
His  Word ;  each  day  thou  wilt  find  some  portion  of 
it  *^ier(  Nothing  makes  a  man  more  strong  and 
courageous  than  the  assurance  that  he  is  just  living 
out  the  will  of  God.  God  Himself,  who  had  thy 
image  portrayed  in  the  Scriptures,  will  see  to  it  that 
the  Scriptures  are  fulfilled  in  thee,  if  like  His  Son 
thou  wilt  but  surrender  thyself  to  this  as  the  highest 
object  of  thy  life. 

0  Lord,  my  God  !  I  thank  Thee  for  Thy  precious 
Word,  the  Divine  glass  of  all  unseen  and  eternal 
realities.  I  thr.nk  Thee  that  I  have  in  it  the  image 
of  Thy  Son,  who  is  Thy  image,  and  also,  0  wonder- 
ful grace  !  my  image.  I  thank  Thee  that  as  I  gaze 
on  Him  I  may  also  see  what  I  can  be. 

0  my  Father !  teach  me  rightly  to  understand 
what  a  blessing  Thy  Word  can  bring  me.  To  Thy 
Son,  when  here  on  earth,  it  was  the  manifestation 
of  Thy  will,  the  communication  of  Tliy  life  and 
strength,  the  fellowship  with  Thyself.  In  the 
acceptance  and  the  surrender  to  Thy  Word  He  was 


tril 


ft 


IN  HIS  USE  OF  SCRIPTURE. 


139 


ry  day 
tation. 
id  con- 
Spirit, 
mpUsh 
God  is 
ed  that 
J  Christ 
did  for 
f  life  in 
)rtion  of 
ong  and 
3t  living 
had  thy 
;o  it  that 
Hi3  Son 
e  highest 


able  to  fulfil  all  Thy  counsel.  May  Thy  Word  be  all 
tliis  to  me  too.  Make  it  to  me,  each  day  afresh 
through  the  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Word 
proceeding  from  the  mouth  of  God,  the  voice  of  Thy 
living  presence  speaking  to  me.  May  I  feel  with 
each  word  of  Thine  that  it  is  God  coming  to  im- 
part to  me  somewhat  of  His  own  life.  Teach  me  to 
keep  it  hidden  in  my  heart  as  a  Divine  seed,  which 
in  its  own  time  will  spring  up  and  reproduce  in  me 
in  Divine  reality  the  very  life  that  was  hid  in  it, 
the  very  thing  which  I  at  first  only  saw  in  it  as  a 
thought.  Teach  me  above  all,  0  my  God,  to  find  in 
it  Him  who  is  its  centre  and  substance,  Himself  the 
Eternal  Word.  Finding  Him,  and  myself  in  Him, 
as  my  Head  and  Exemplar,  I  shall  learn  like 
Him  to  count  Thy  Word  my  food  and  my  life. 

I  ask  this,  O  my  God,  in  the  name  of  our  blessed 
Christ  Jesus.     Amen. 


11 


■m 


^  i 


derstand 
To  Thy 

ifestation 

life  and 

In    the 

dHe  was 


fciLL 


140 


LIKE  ClIKIST. 


Nineteenth    Day. 


LIKE  CHRIST: 

hi  JForfltbing^ 

'  Forbearing  one  another,  and  forgiving  one  another,  if  any 
man  have  a  quarrel  against  any :  euen  as  Christ  forgave  you,  so 
also  do  ye.'' — Col.  iii.  13. 

IN  the  life  ^f  grace  forgiveness  is  one  of  the  first 
blessings  we  receive  from  God.  It  is  also  one 
of  the  most  glorious.  It  is  the  transition  from  the 
old  to  the  new  life  ;  the  sign  and  pledge  of  God's  love: 
with  it  we  receive  the  right  to  all  the  spiritual  gifts 
which  aie  prepared  for  us  in  Christ.  The  redeeiiicd 
saint  can  never  forget,  either  here  or  in  eternity, 
that  he  is  a  forgiven  sinner.  Nothing  works  mure 
mightily  to  inflame  his  lo\e,  to  awaken  his  joy,  or  to 
stiengthen  his  counige,  than  the  experience,  continu- 
ally renewed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  living  reality,  of 
God's  forgiving  love.  I'^very  day,  yes,  every  thought 
of  God  reminds  him  :  I  owe  all  to  pardoning  grace. 
This  forgiving  love  is  one  of  the  greatest  marvels 
in  the  manifestation  of  the  Divine  nature.  In  it 
God  finds  His  glory  and  blessedness.  And  it  is  in 
this  glory  and  blessedness  God  wants  His  redeemed 
people  to  share,  when  He  calls  upon  them,  as  soon 


IN   FORGIVING. 


141 


■  j 


and  as  much  as  they  have  received  forgiveness,  also 
to  bestow  it  upon  others. 

Have  you  ever  noticed  how  often  and  how  ex- 
pressly the  Lord  Jesus  spoke  of  it?  If  we  read 
thoughtfully  our  Lord's  words  in  Matt.  vi.  12,  15, 
xviii.  2-25,  Mark  xi.  25,  we  shall  understand  how 
insex)arably  the  two  are  united  :  God's  forgiveness  of 
us  and  our  forgiveness  of  others.  '  After  the  Lord  was 
ascended  to  grant  repentance  and  forgiveness  of  sins, 
the  Scriptures  say  of  Him  just  what  He  had  said  of 
the  Father,  we  must  forgive  like  Him.  As  our  text 
expresses  it,  even  as  Christ  has  f(rgiven  you,  so  also  do 
ye.     We  must  be  like  God,  like  Christ,  in  forgiving. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  find  the  reason  for  this. 
When  forgiving  love  comes  to  us,  it  is  not  only  to 
deliver  us  from  punishment.  No,  much  more ;  it 
seeks  to  win  us  for  its  own,  to  take  possession  of  us 
and  to  dwell  in  us.  And  when  thus  it  has  come 
down  to  dwell  in  us,  it  does  not  lose  its  own 
heavenly  character  and  beauty  :  it  still  is  forgiving 
love  seeking  to  do  its  work  not  alone  towards 
lis,  but  in  us,  and  through  us,  leading  and  enabling 
us  to  forgive  those  who  sin  against  us.  So  much 
s(»  is  this  the  case,  that  we  are  told  that  not  to 
forgive  is  a  sure  sign  that  one  has  himself  not  been 
forgiven.  He  who  only  seeks  forgiveness  from 
seltishness  and  as  freedom  from  punislnnent,  but  has 
not  truly  accepted  forgiving  love  to  rule  his  heart 
and  life,  proves  that  God's  forgiveness  has  never 
really  reached  him.  He  who,  on  the  other  hand, 
has  really  accepted  forgiveness  will  have  in  the  joy 


n  ffl;  i 


■ 

1 

iSR  i" 

"'■■^ 

11 

■i:- 

I^Hi^t'^ 

^.:,i. 

1 

V 

m 

j 

1' 

Hi 

n  .  1 

^^^^iH 

i^ 

142 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


with  which  he  forgives  others,  a  continual  confirma- 
tion, that  his  faith  in  God's  forgiveness  of  himself 
is  a  reality.  From  Christ  to  receive  forgiveness,  and 
like  Christ  to  bestow  it  on  others :  these  two  are  one. 

Thus  the  Scriptures  and  the  Church  teach :  but 
what  do  the  lives  and  experience  of  Christians  say  ? 
Alas !  how  many  there  are  who  hardly  know  that 
thus  it  is  written,  or  who,  if  they  know  it,  think  it  is 
more  than  can  be  expected  from  a  sinful  being ;  or 
who  if  they  agree  in  general  to  what  has  been  said, 
always  find  a  reason,  in  their  own  particular  case, 
why  it  should  not  be  so.  Others  might  l)e 
strengthened  in  evil;  the  offender  would  never 
forgive  had  the  injury  been  done  to  him ;  there  are 
very  many  eminent  Christians  who  do  not  act  so ; 
such  excuses  are  never  wanting.  And  yet  tlie 
command  is  so  very  simple,  and  its  sanction  so  very 
solemn :  '  Even  as  Christ  has  forgiven  you,  so  also 
do  ye  ; '  '  If  ye  forgive  not,  neither  will  your  Fatlicr 
forgive  you.*  With  such  human  reasonings  tlie 
Word  of  God  is  made  of  none  effect.  As  though  it 
were  not  just  through  forgiving  love  that  God  seeks 
to  conquer  evil,  and  therefore  forgives  even  unto 
seventy  times  seven.  As  though  it  were  not  plain, 
that  not  what  the  offender  would  do  to  me,  but  ichat 
Christ  has  done,  must  be  the  rule  of  my  cqnduet. 
As  though  conformity  to  the  example  not  of  Christ 
Himself,  but  of  pious  Christians,  were  the  sign  that 
I  have  truly  received  the  forgiveness  of  sins. 

Alas !  what  Church  or  Christian  circle  in  which 
the  law  of  forgiving  love  is  not  grievously  trans- 


IN  FORGIVING. 


143 


iiressed  ?  How  often  in  our  Church  assemblies,  in 
pliilanthropic  undertakings  as  well  as  in  ordinary 
social  intercourse,  and  even  in  domestic  life,  proof  is 
given  that  to  many  Christians  the  nail  to  forgive, 
just  as  Christ  did,  has  never  yet  become  a  ruling 
principle  of  their  conduct.  On  account  of  a  differ- 
ence of  opinion,  or  opposition  to  a  course  of  action 
that  appeared  to  us  right,  on  the  ground  of  a  real 
or  a  fancied  slight,  or  the  report  of  some  unkind  or 
thoughtless  word,  feelings  of  resentment,  or  contempt, 
or  estrangement,  have  been  harboured,  instead  of 
loving,  and  forgiving,  and  forgetting  like  Christ. 
In  such  the  thought  has  never  yet  taken  possession 
of  mind  and  heart,  that  the  law  of  compassion 
and  love  and  forgiveness,  in  which  the  relation  of 
the  liead  to  the  members  is  rooted,  must  rule  the 
whole  relation  of  the  members  to  each  other. 

Beloved  followers  of  Jesus !  called  to  manifest 
His  likeness  to  the  world,  learn  that  as  forgiveness 
of  your  sins  was  one  of  the  first  things  Jesus  did 
for  you,  forgiveness  of  others  is  one  of  the  first  that 
you  can  do  for  Him.  And  remember  that  to  the 
new  heart  there  is  a  joy  even  sweeter  than  that  of 
being  forgiven ;  even  the  joy  of  forgiving  otheis. 
Tlie  joy  of  being  forgiven  is  only  that  of  a  sinner  txiA 
of  earth :  the  joy  of  forgiving  is  Christ's  own  joy, 
tlie  joy  of  heaven.  Oh,  come  and  see  that  it  is 
nothing  less  than  the  work  that  Chiist  Himself  does, 
and  the  joy  with  which  He  Himself  is  satisfied  that 
thou  art  called  to  participate  in. 

It  is  thus  that  thou  canst  bless  the  world.     It  is 


144 


LIKK  CIIKIST: 


jis  the  for^iviiij,'  One  that  Jesus  conquers  His 
enemies,  and  hinds  His  friends  to  Himself.  It  is 
as  the  forgivin*^  One  tliat  Jesus  has  set  \\\ 
kingdom  and  continually  extends  it.  It  is  tliroiigli 
the  same  hn'giving  love,  not  only  preached  hut  shown 
in  the  life  of  His  (fisr.iplfK,  tliat  the  Churcli  will  con- 
vince tlie  world  of  (iod's  love.  If  the  world  sec; 
men  and  women  loving  and  forgiving  as  Jesus  did, 
it  will  he  compelled  to  confess  that  God  is  with 
tliem  of  a  truth. 

And  if  it  still  ai)pear  too  hard  and  too  higli, 
rememher  tluit  this  will  only  he  as  long  as  we 
consult  the  natural  heart.  A  sinful  nature  has  no 
taste  for  this  joy,  and  never  can  attain  it.  P'  'n 
union  with  Christ  we  can  do  it:  lie  who  •  5 
in  Him  walks  even  as  He  walked.  H'  you  have 
surrenderc<l  yourself  to  follow  Christ  in  ever;,' thing, 
tlien  He  will  by  Hi-?  Holy  Sjtirit  enable  you  to  do 
tliis  too.  Ere  ever  you  come  into  temiitation, 
accustom  yourself  to  fix  your  gaze  on  Jesus,  in  the 
heaveidy  beauty  of  His  forgiving  love  as  your 
exam])le :  '  liehohHng  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  we  are 
changed  into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory.' 
P^very  lime  you  pray  or  thank  Cod  for  forgiveness, 
nudvc  the  vow  tliat  to  the  glory  of  His  name  you 
will  manifest  the  same  forgiving  love  to  all  around 
you.  Before  ever  there  is  a  ([uestion  of  forgiveness 
of  others,  let  your  heart  l>f^  fdled  witli  love  to 
(.Mirist,  love  to  the  brethren,  and  love  to  enemies:  a 
lieart  full  of  love  finds  it  blessed  to  forgive.  Let, 
in  each  little   circumstance  of  daily  life  when  the 


IN  FOIUJIVING. 


145 


temptation  not  to  forgive  might  arise,  tlic  oppor- 
tunity be  joyfully  welcomed  to  show  how  truly  you 
live  in  God's  forgiving  love,  how  ulad  you  are  to 
let  its  beautiful  light  shitie  through  you  on  others, 
and  how  blessed  a  privilege  you  feel  it  to  be  thus 
tuo  to  bear  the  image  of  your  beloved  Lord. 


i  ^  M 


To  forgive  like  Thee,  blessed  Son  of  God !  I  take 
this  as  the  law  of  my  life.  Thou  who  hast  given 
the  command,  givest  also  the  power.  Thou  who 
hiidst  love  enough  to  forgive  me,  wilt  also  fill  me 
with  love  and  teach  me  to  forgive  "thers.  Thou 
wlio  didst  give  me  the  first  blessing,  in  the  joy  of 
having  my  sins  forgiven,  wilt  surely  give  me  the 
second  blessing,  the  deeper  joy  of  forgiving  others 
as  Thou  hast  forgiven  me.  Oli,  lill  me  to  this  end 
with  faith  in  the  power  of  Thy  love  in  me,  to  make 
me  like  Thyself,  to  enable  me  to  forgive  the  seventy 
times  seven,  and  so  to  love  and  bless  all  around  me. 

0  my  Jesus !  Thy  example  is  my  law :  I  must 
be  like  Thee.  And  Thy  example  is  my  gospel  too : 
I  can  be  as  Thou  art.  Thou  art  at  once  my  Ljiw 
and  my  Life.  What  Thou  demandest  of  me  by  Thy 
example.  Thou  workest  in  me  by  Thy  life.  1  shall 
forgive  like  Thee. 

Lord,  only  lead  me  deeper  into  my  dependence 
ou  Thee,  into  the  all-sufliciency  of  Thy  grace  and 
the  blessed  keeping  which  comes  from  Thy  indwell- 
ing. Then  shall  I  believe  and  prove  the  all-pre- 
vailing power  of  love.  I  shall  forgive  even  as 
Christ  has  forgiven  me.     Amen. 

K 


itf^ 


146 


UKE  OllKLiT : 


Twentieth  Day. 


iiP' 


'ti 


LIKE  CHKIST: 

In  iiefioltimg  Jltm. 

'But  we  all,  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glaea  the  glory 
of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to 
glory,  euen  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.'— 2  Cou.  iii.  18. 

MOSES  had  been  forty  days  on  the  mount  in 
communion  with  God.  When  he  canu; 
down,  his  face  shone  with  Divine  glory.  He  did 
not  know  it  himself,  but  Aaron  and  the  people  saw 
it  (Ex.  xxxiv.  oO).  It  was  so  evidently  God's  glory 
that  Aaron  and  the  people  feared  to  approach  hiin. 

In  this  we  have  an  image  of  what  takes  place  In 
the  New  Testament.  The  privilege  Moses  there 
alone  enjoyed  is  now  the  portion  of  every  believer. 
When  we  behold  the  glory  of  God  in  Christ,  in  the 
glass  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  His  glory  shines  upon 
us,  and  into  us,  and  fills  us,  until  it  si  lines  out  from 
us  again.  By  gazing  on  His  glory  the  believer  i? 
changed  through  the  Spirit  into  the  same  image. 
Beholding  Jesus  makes  uh  like  Him. 

It  is  a  law  of  nature  that  the  eye  exercises  a  mighty 
influence  on  mind  and  character.  The  education  of 
a  child  is  carried  on  greatly  through  the  eye ;  he  is 
moulded  very  nmch  by  the  manners  and  habits  of 
those  he  sees  continually.     To  form  and  mould  our 


'   u 


m 


IN  BI'UIOLDING  IlIM. 


147 


the  glory 
1  glory  to 

18. 

louiit  ill 
le    caiiio 
He  did 
jople  saw 
3d's  glory 
ch  l»iin- 
place  in 
es    til  ere 
believer, 
st,  in  the 
lies  upon 
out  from 
eliever  i^ 
e  image. 

a  mighty 

ication  of 

|ye ;  lie  is 

habits  of 

uould  our 


clinraotcr  the  Heavenly  Father  shows  us  His  Divino 
nloiT  in  the  face  of  Jesus.  He  does  it  in  the  expec- 
tiitioii  that  it  will  give  us  great  joy  to  gaze  upon  it, 
and  because  He  knows  that,  gJ^zing  on  it,  we  shall 
lie  conformed  to  the  same  image.  Let  every  one  who 
desires  to  be  like  Jesus  note  how  he  can  attain  to  it. 

Look  continually  to  the  Divine  glory  as  seen  in 
riuist.  Wliat  is  the  special  characteristic  of  that 
glury  ?  It  is  the  manifestation  of  Divine  perfection 
in  human  form.  The  chief  marks  of  the  image  of 
tlic  Divine  glory  in  Christ  are  these  two :  His 
humiliation  a:)d  His  love. 

Tliere  is  the  glory  of  His  humiliation.  Wlien  you 
see  how  the  eternal  Son  emptied  Himself  and  became 
man,  and  how  as  man  He  humbled  Himself  as  a 
servant  and  was  obedient  even  unto  the  death  of  the 
cross,  you  have  seen  the  highest  glory  of  God.  The 
}i;loiy  of  God's  omnipotence  as  Creator,  and  the  glory 
of  (Jod's  holiness  as  King,  is  not  so  wonderful  as  this  : 
tlie  glory  of  grace  which  humbled  itself  as  a  servant 
to  serve  God  and  man.  We  must  learn  to  look  upon 
this  humiliation  as  really  glory.  To  le  humUcd  like 
Christ  must  he  to  us  the  only  fhiivj  worthy  the  name  of 
ijhirij  on  earth.  It  must  become  in  our  eyes  the 
must  beautiful,  the  most  wonderful,  the  most 
desirable  thing  that  can  be  imngincd ;  a  very  joy 
to  look  upon  or  to  think  of.  The  effect  of  thus 
gazing  upon  it  and  admiring  it  will  be  tlui*;  you 
will  not  be  able  to  conceive  of  any  glory  greater 
than  to  be  and  act  like  Jesus,  and  will  long  to 
hiunble  yourself  even  as  He  did.  Gazing  on  Jesus, 
luhniring  and   adoring   Him,  will   work  in  us  the 


"  .  ;            , '  i 

i             '■■ 

1              1 

148 


LIKE  CHRIST  : 


same  mind  that  there  was  in  Him,  and  so  we  shiill 
be  changed  into  His  imaj^^e. 

Inseparable  from  this  is  the  glory  of  His  love. 
The  humiliation  leads  you  back  to  the  love  as  its 
origin  and  power.  It  is  from  love  tliat  the  humilia- 
tion has  its  beauty.  Love  is  the  highest  glory  of 
God.  But  this  love  was  a  hidden  mystery,  until  it 
was  manifest  in  Christ  Jesus.  It  is  only  in  His 
humanity,  in  His  gentle,  compassionate,  and  loving 
intercourse  with  men,  with  foolish,  sinful,  hostile 
men,  that  the  glory  of  Divine  love  was  first  really 
seen.  The  soul  tluit  gets  a  glimpse  of  this  glory, 
and  that  understands  that  to  love  like  Christ  is  alum 
worthy  the  name  of  glory,  will  long  to  become  Hke 
Christ  in  this.  Beholding  this  glory  of  the  love  of 
God  in  Christ,  he  is  changed  to  the  same  image. 

You  would  be  like  Christ  ?  Here  is  the  path. 
Gaze  on  the  glory  of  God  in  Him.  In  Him,  that 
is  to  say ;  do  not  look  only  to  the  words  and  the 
thoughts  and  the  graces  in  which  His  glory  is  seen, 
but  look  to  Himself,  the  living,  loving  Christ.  Behold 
Him,  look  into  His  very  eye,  look  into  His  face,  as 
a  loving  friend,  as  the  living  God. 

Look  to  Him  in  adoration.  Bow  before  Him  as  God. 
His  glory  has  an  almighty  living  power  to  impart 
itself  to  us,  to  pass  over  into  us  and  to  fill  us. 

Look  to  Him  in  faith.  Exercise  the  blessed 
trust  that  He  is  yours,  that  He  lias  given  Himself 
to  you,  and  that  you  have  a  claim  to  all  that  is  iu 
Him.  It  is  His  purpose  to  work  out  His  image  ni 
you.  Behold  Him  with  the  joyful  and  certaiu 
expectation:    the  glory  that  I  behold  in   Him  is 


IN  BEHOLDING  HIM. 


149 


destined  for  me.  He  will  give  it  me  ;  as  I  gaze 
and  wonder  and  trust,  I  become  like  Christ. 

Look  to  Him  with  strong  desire.  Do  not  yield 
to  the  slothfulness  of  the  flesh  that  is  satisfied  with- 
out the  full  blessing  of  conformity  to  the  Lord. 
Pray  God  to  free  you  from  all  carnal  resting  con- 
tent with  present  attainments,  and  to  fill  you  with 
the  deep  unquenchable  longing  for  His  glory. 
Pray  most  fervently  the  prayer  of  Moses, '  Show  me 
Thy  glory.*  Let  nothing  discourage  you,  not  even  tlie 
apparently  slow  progress  you  make,  but  press  onwards 
with  ever  growing  desire  after  the  ]»lessed  prospect 
timt  God's  Word  holds  out  to  you  :  '  We  are  changed 
into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory.' 

And  as  you  behold  Him,  above  all,  let  the  look  of 
love  not  be  wanting.  Tell  Him  continually  how  He 
has  won  your  heart,  how  you  do  love  Him,  how 
entirely  you  belong  to  Him.  Tell  Him  that  to  please 
Him,  the  beloved  One,  is  your  highest,  your  only  joy. 
Let  the  bond  of  love  between  you  and  Him  be  drawn 
continually  closer.     Love  unites  and  makes  like. 

Lihc  Christ !  we  can  be  it,  we  sliall  be  it,  each 
in  our  measure.  The  Holy  Sjjirit  is  the  pledge 
that  it  shall  be.  God's  Holy  Word  has  said,  '  We 
are  changed  into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to 
i;lory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.'  This  is 
the  Spirit  that  was  in  Jesus,  and  through  Whom  the 
Divine  glory  lived  and  shone  on  Him.  This  Spirit 
is  called  '  The  Spirit  of  glory.*  This  Spirit  is  in  us 
as  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  it  is  His  work,  in  our 
silent  adoring  contemplation,  to  bring  over  into  us 
and  work  within  us,  what  we  see  in  our  Lord  Jesus. 


|r^"';f 

i ';: 

I 


/   ,:  :.i\ 


t, 


^ 

Ml 

i.' 

li 

^*>ai 


<  m 


I 


I 


;  «  i: 
;  i  I 

'■I 


M 


150 


LIKE  ciiiasT : 


Throu.i4h  this  Spirit  we  have  already  Christ's  life  in 
us,  with  all  the  gifts  of  His  grace.  But  that  life 
must  be  stirred  up  and  developed :  it  must  grow 
up,  pass  into  our  whole  being,  take  possession  of  our 
entire  nature,  penetrate  and  pervade  it  all.  "VVe 
can  count  on  the  Spirit  to  work  this  in  us,  if  we 
but  yield  ourselves  to  Him  and  obey  Him.  As  we 
gaze  on  Jesus  in  the  Word,  He  opens  our  eyes  to 
see  the  glory  of  all  tliat  Jesus  does  and  is.  He 
makes  us  willing  to  be  like  Him.  He  strengthens 
our  faith,  that  what  we  behold  in  Jesus  can  be  in 
us,  because  Jesus  Himself  is  ours.  He  works  in  us 
unconsingly  the  life  of  abiding  in  Christ,  a  whole- 
iiearted  union  and  communion  with  Him.  He  does 
according  to  the  promise  :  '  The  Spirit  shall  glorify 
me :  for  He  shall  take  of  mine  and  shall  show  it 
unto  you.'  We  are  changed  into  the  image  on 
which  we  gaze,  from  glory  to  glory,  as  hy  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord.  Let  us  only  understand,  that  the 
fulness  of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  us,  and  that  lia 
who  believiiigly  surrenders  himself  to  be  filled  with 
Him,  will  experience  how  gloriously  He  accom- 
plishes His  work  of  stamping  on  our  souls  and 
lives  the  image  and  likeness  of  Christ. 

Brother !  beholding  Jesus  and  His  glory,  you  can 
confidently  expect  to  become  like  Him  :  only  trust 
yourself  in  quietness  and  restfuhiess  of  soul  to  the 
leading  of  the  Spirit.  '  The  Spirit  of  glory  rests  upon 
vou.*  Gaze  on  and  adore  the  glory  of  God  in  Christ ; 
you  will  be  changed  with  Divine  power  from  glory 
to  glory;  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  the 
mighty  transformation  will   be  wrought  by  which 


IN  BEHOLDING  HIM. 


151 


your  desires  will  be  fulfilled,  and  like  Christ  will  be 
the  blessed  God-given  experience  of  you  life. 

0  my  Lord !  I  do  thank  Thee  for  the  glorious 
assurance  that  while  I  am  engaged  with  Thee,  in 
my  work  of  beholding  Thy  glory,  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  engnged  with  me,  in  His  work  of  chnnging  me 
into  that  image,  and  of  laying  of  Tliy  glory  on  me. 

Lord  !  grant  me  to  behold  Thy  glory  aright. 
]\fo,ses  had  been  forty  days  with  Thee  when  Thy 
glory  shone  upon  Him,  I  ncknowlcdge  that  my 
coniniunion  with  Tliee  has  been  too  short  and  passing, 
that  I  have  taken  too  little  time  to  come  under  the 
full  impression  of  what  Thine  image  is.  Lord  !  teach 
Hie  this.  Draw  me  in  these  my  meditations  too,  to 
surrender  myself  to  contemplate  and  adore,  until 
my  soul  at  every  line  of  that  image  may  exclaim  : 
This  is  glorious  !  this  is  the  glory  of  God  !  0  my 
God,  show  me  Thy  glory. 

And  strengthen  my  faith,  blessed  Lord  !  that,  even 
wlicn  I  am  not  conscious  of  any  sjiccial  experience, 
the  Holy  Spirit  will  do  His  woik.  IMo.ses  knew 
not  that  his  face  shone.  Lord  !  kee])  me  from 
looking  at  self :  May  I  be  so  taken  up  only  with 
TJK'e  as  to  forget  and  lose  myself  in  Thee.  Lord ! 
it  is  he  who  is  dead  to  self  who  lives  in  Thee. 

0  my  Lord,  as  often  as  I  gaze  upon  Thine  image 
aiij  Thine  example,  I  would  do  it  in  the  faith,  that 
Tliy  Holy  Spirit  will  iill  me,  will  take  entire 
possession  of  me,  and  so  work  Thy  likeness  in  me, 
tliat  the  world  nuiy  see  in  me  somewhat  of  Thy 
glory.     In   this  faith  I  will  venture  to  take  Thy 


U       ■ 


i 


-m 


B' . 


■  i 


^m 


I 


152 


LIKK  CllHIST: 


precious  word, '  From  glory  to  glory,'  as  my  watch- 
word, to  be  to  me  tlie  promise  of  a  grace  that  grows 
richer  every  day,  of  a  blessing  that  is  ever  ready 
to  surpass  itself,  and  to  make  what  has  been  given 
only  the  pledge  of  the  better  that  is  to  come. 
Precious  Saviour !  gazing  on  Thee  it  shall  indeed  be 
so,  '  From  glory  to  glory.'     Amen. 


NOTE. 


I  have  left  the  preceding  piece  as  it  was  originally 
published  in  Dutch.  The  English  Revised  Version 
translates :  '  But  we  all,  with  unveiled  face  reflecting  as 
in  a  mirror  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  transforraed  into 
the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  from  tht; 
Lord  the  Spirit ; '  and  gives  in  the  margin  *  beholding 
as  in  a  mirror.'  It  is  difficult  to  settle  which  is  the 
better  translation,. as  the  original  can  bear  both  meanings. 
I  confess  that  beholding  appears  to  me  better  to  suit  tlie 
passage  :  the  reflecting  the  image  can  only  come  after 
we  have  been,  or  at  least  as  we  are  being,  *  transformed 
into  the  same  image.'  It  is  only  as  we  are  transformed 
into  it  we  can  reflect  it :  the  means  of  the  transformtition 
appear  to  be  almost  better  expressed  by  beholding  than 
reflecting.  However  this  may  be,  even  if  we  prefer  to 
translate  reflecting,  what  has  been  said  on  behohling 
<loes  not  lose  its  force :  it  is  the  intent,  longing,  loving, 
adoring  gaze  on  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  the 
Beloved  Son  that  transforms. 

What  rich  instruction  in  regard  to  the  Divine 
Photography  of  which  the  text  spenks  there  is  in  what 
we  see  in  the  human  art !  In  the  practice  of  the 
photographer  we  see  two  things :  faith  in  the  power 
and  effects  of  light,  and  the  wise  adjustment  of  every- 
thing in  obedience  to  its  laws.  With  what  care  the 
tenderly  sensitive  plate  is  prepared  to  receive  the 
impression !   with  what  precision  its  relative  position 


IN  BEHOLDING  HIM. 


153 


UiUiHHSillli 


■,:,J: 


to  tlic  object  to  be  portrayed  is  adjusted  I  how  still  and 
undisturbed  it  is  then  held  face  to  face  with  that  object ! 
Having  done  this,  the  photographer  leaves  the  light  to 
do  its  wonderful  work :  his  work  is  indeed  a  work 
of  faith. 

May  we  learn  the  precious  lessons.  Let  us  believe  in 
the  light,  in  the  power  of  the  light  of  God,  to  transcribe 
Christ's  image  on  our  heart.  'We  are  cliangcd  into 
the  same  image  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.'  Let  us 
not  seek  to  do  the  work  the  Spirit  must  do :  let  us 
simply  trust  Him  to  do  it.  Our  duty  is,  to  seek  the 
prepared  heart,  waiting,  longing,  praying  for  the  like- 
ness ;  to  take  our  place  face  to  face  with  Jesus,  study- 
ing, gazing,  loving,  worshipping,  and  believing  that 
the  wonderful  vision  of  that  Crucified  One  is  the  sure 
promise  of  what  we  can  be ;  and  then,  putting  aside  all 
that  can  distract,  in  stillness  of  soul,  silent  unto  God, 
just  to  allow  the  Blessed  Spirit  as  the  Light  of  God  to 
do  the  work.  Not  less  surely  or  wonderfully  than  in 
tlie  ligl it  printing  which  is  done  here  on  earth,  will 
our  souls  receive  and  show  the  impress  of  that  wonderful 
likeness. 

I  feel  tempted  to  add  one  thought :  what  a  solemn 
calling  that  of  ministers  as  the  servants  of  this  Heavenly 
Photography,  'ministers  of  the  Spirit'  in  His  work 
(see  2  Cor.  iv.  6) :  to  lead  believers  on,  and  point  them 
to  Jesus  and  every  trait  in  that  blessed  face  and  life  as 
what  they  are  to  be  changed  to ;  to  help  them  to  that 
wistful  longing,  that  deep  thirsting  for  conformity  to 
Jesus,  which  is  the  true  preparation  of  soul ;  to  teach 
them  how,  both  in  public  worship  and  private  prayer, 
they  have  just  to  place  themselves  face  to  face  with  their 
Tiord,  and  give  llim  time,  as  they  unbare  and  expose 
their  whole  inner  being  to  the  beams  of  His  love  and 
His  glory,  to  come  in  and  take  possession,  by  His  Sjurit 
to  transform  them  into  His  own  likeness. 

*  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?  Our  sufficiency  is 
of  God,  who  hath  made  us  able  ministers  of  the  Spirit.* 


ki^  ■■ 


ii; 


''li 


IK- 


i;l: 


liiil 


11 :.  : ,  • 


Hill 


154 


LIKE  OiUUSTi 


Twenty- First   Day. 


LIKE  CHKLST: 

In  J&is  38umiUt2. 

•  In  lowliness  of  mind  each  counting  other  better  than  himself. 
Have  thiH  mind  in  you,  which  was  also  in  Clirist  Jesus,  who, 
being  in  the  form  of  God,  emptied  Him«'^'f,  talcing  the  form  of  a 
eervant,  being  made  in  the  likeness  of  men ;  and  being  fonnd  in 
fasliion  as  a  man,  He  humbled  Himself,  becoming  obedient  unto 
death,  yea,  the  death  of  the  cross.'— Phil.  ii.  3-8  (R.V.). 

IN  this  wonderful  passage  we  have  a  summary  of 
all  the  most  precious  truths  that  cluster  round 
the  person  of  the  blessed  Son  of  God.  There  is 
first,  His  adorable  Divinity:  'in  the  form  of  God,' 
'  cqnol  with  God!  Then  comes  the  mystery  of  His 
incarnation,  in  that  word  of  deep  and  inexhaustible 
meaning:  ' //«■  emptied  Himself!  The  atonement 
follows,  witli  the  humiliation,  and  obedience,  and 
snfl'ering,  and  death,  whence  it  derives  its  worth: 
*  lie  humhled  Himself,  heeomiiuj  olcdietit  unto  death, 
even  tloe  death  of  the  cross!  And  all  is  crowned  by 
His  glorious  exaltation  :  '  God  hath  highly  exalted  Him! 
Christ  as  God,  Christ  becoming  man,  Christ  as  man 
iu   humiliation   working   out  our  redemption,   and 


IN  HIS  HUMILITY. 


155 


Christ  in  glory  as  Lord  of  all :  such  are  the  treasures 
of  wisdom  this  passage  contains. 

Volumes  have  been  written  on  the  discussion  of 
some  of  the  words  the  passage  contains.  And  yet 
siiHicient  attention  has  not  always  been  given  to 
th(i  connection  in  which  tlie  Holy  Spirit  gives  this 
wondrous  teaching.  It  is  not  in  the  first  place  as 
a  statement  of  truth  for  the  refutation  of  error,  or 
tlu!  strengthening  of  faith.  The  object  is  a  very 
(lin'erent  one.  Among  the  Philippians  there  was 
still  pride  and  want  of  love:  it  is  with  the  distinct 
view  of  setting  Christ's  example  before  them,  and 
U'lU'hing  them  to  humble  themselves  as  lie  did,  that 
this  portion  of  inspimtiou  was  given  :  '  In  lowliness 
of  mind  each  counting  other  better  than  himself. 
Have  this  mind  in  you  whicli  was  also  in  Christ 
JesuF,.'  He  wlio  dues  not  study  this  portion  of 
God':-  Word  with  the  wish  to  become  lowly  as 
Christ  was,  has  never  used  it  for  the  one  great 
piivi)ose  for  which  God  gave  it.  Christ  descending 
from  the  throne  of  CJod,  and  seeking  His  way  back 
tliore  as  man  through  the  humiliation  of  the  cross, 
reveals  the  only  way  by  which  we  ever  can  reach 
that  throne.  The  faith  which,  witli  His  atonement, 
accepts  His  example  too,  is  alone  true  faith.  Each 
soul  that  would  truly  belong  to  Him  must  in 
union  with  Him  have  His  Spirit,  His  disposition, 
and  His  image. 

'  Have  this  mind  in  you  which  was  also  in  Christ 
Jesus,  who  being  in  the  form  of  God  emjitied 
Himself,   and  as  a  man    humbled  Himself.'     We 


i 


^fmi 


i 


m 


i 


II 


156 


LIKK  CHRIST : 


must  be  like  Christ  in  His  self-emptying  and  self- 
humiliation.  The  first  great  act  of  self-abnegation, 
in  which  as  God  He  emptied  Himself  of  His  Divine 
glory  and  power  and  laid  it  aside,  was  followed  up 
by  the  no  less  wondrous  humbling  of  Himself  as 
man,  to  the  death  of  the  cross.  And  in  tliis 
amazing  twofold  humiliation,  the  astonishment  of 
the  universe  and  the  delight  of  the  Father,  Holy 
Scripture  with  the  utmost  simplicity  tells  us  we 
must,  as  a  matter  of  course,  be  like  Christ. 

And  does  Paul,  and  do  the  Scriptures,  and  does 
God  really  expect  this  of  us  ?  Why  not  ?  or  rather, 
how  can  they  expect  anything  else  ?  They  know 
indeed  the  fearful  power  of  pride  and  the  old 
Adam  in  our  nature.  But  they  know  also  tliat 
Christ  has  redeemed  us  not  only  from  the  curse  but 
from  the  power  of  sin,  and  tliat  He  gives  us  His 
resurrection  life  and  power  to  enable  us  to  live 
as  He  did  on  earth.  They  say  that  He  is  not  only 
our  Surety,  but  our  Example  also ;  so  that  we  not 
only  live  through  Him,  but  like  Him.  And 
further,  not  only  our  Example  but  also  our  Head, 
who  lives  in  us,  and  continues  in  us  the  life  lie 
once  led  on  earth.  With  such  a  Christ,  and  such 
a  plan  of  redemption,  can  it  be  otherwise  ?  The 
follower  of  Christ  must  have  the  same  mind  as  was 
in  Clirist ;  he  must  especially  be  like  Him  in  His 
humility. 

Christ's  example  teaches  us  that  it  is  not  sin 
that  must  humble  us.  This  is  what  many  Christians 
think.     They  consider  daily  falls  are  necessary  to 


IN  HIS  HUMILITY. 


157 


keep  us  humble.  This  is  not  so.  There  is  indeed 
a  humility  that  is  very  lovely,  and  so  of  great 
worth,  as  the  begiiniing  of  something  more,  con- 
sisting in  the  acknowledgment  of  transgression  and 
shortcomings.  But  there  is  a  humility  which  is 
more  heavenly  still,  even  like  Christ,  which  consists, 
even  when  grace  keeps  us  from  sinning,  in  the  self- 
iihasement  that  can  only  wonder  that  God  should 
l)l(jss  us,  and  delights  to  be  as  nothing  before  Him 
to  whom  we  owe  all.  It  is  grace  we  need,  and 
not  sin,  to  make  and  keep  us  humble.  The  heaviest- 
laileu  branches  always  bow  the  lowest.  The  greatest 
How  of  water  makes  the  deepest  river-bed.  The 
nearer  the  soul  comes  to  God,  the  more  His  majestic 
I'resence  makes  it  feel  its  littleness.  It  is  this  alone 
tliat  makes  it  possible  for  each  to  count  others 
better  than  himself.  Jesus  Christ,  the  Holy  One  of 
God,  is  our  example  of  humility :  it  was,  knowing 
tliat  the  Father  had  given  all  things  into  His  hands, 
and  that  He  was  come  from  God  and  went  to  God, 
that  He  washed  the  disciples'  feet.  It  is  the  Divine 
presence,  the  consciousness  of  the  Divine  life  and  the 
Divine  love  in  us,  that  will  make  us  humble. 

It  appean^  to  many  Christians  an  impossibility  to 
say :  I  will  not  think  of  self,  I  will  esteem  others 
better  than  myself.  They  ask  grace  to  overcome 
the  worst  .-huUitions  of  pride  and  vainglory,  but 
an  entire  self-renunciation,  such  as  Christ's,  is  too 
difficult  and  too  high  for  them.  If  they  only 
understood  the  deep  truth  and  blessedness  of  the 
word,  '  He  who  humbles  himself  shall  be  exalted,' 


i 


m 

i!  i  1; 

■'hi! 


i 

i 

1        t 

I    i 


158 


UKE  CilKIST  : 


ii  :.i 


:fe 


*  He  who  loses  his  life  shall  find  it/  they  would  not 
be  sati.sliud  with  anything  less  than  entire  con- 
formity to  their  Lord  in  this.  And  they  would  find 
that  there  is  a  way  to  overcome  self  and  self- 
exaltation  :  to  see  it  nailed  to  Christ's  cross,  and 
there  kciop  it  crucified  continually  through  tht- 
Spirit  (Gal.  v.  24;  Kom.  viii.  13).  He  only  can 
grow  to  such  humility,  who  heartily  yields  hinisull 
to  live  in  the  fellowship  of  Christ's  death. 

To  attain  this,  two  things  are  necessary.  The 
first  is  a  fixed  purpose  and  surrender  henceforth  to 
be  nothing  and  seek  nothing  for  oneself;  but  to 
live  only  for  God  and  our  neighbour.  The  other 
is  the  faith  that  appropriates  the  power  of  Christ's 
death  in  this  also,  as  our  death  to  sin  and  our  deliver- 
ance from  its  power.  This  fellowship  of  Christ's 
death  brings  an  end  to  the  life,  where  sin  is  too  stroiuj 
for  us  ;  it  is  the  commencement  of  a  life  in  us  where 
Christ  is  too  strong  for  sin. 

It  is  only  under  the  teaching  and  powerful  working 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  that  one  can  realize,  accept, 
and  keep  hold  of  this  truth.  But  God  be  thanked, 
we  have  the  Holy  Spirit.  Oh  that  we  may  trust 
ourselves  fully  to  His  guidance.  He  m// gm"  e  us,  .> 
is  His  work ;  He  will  glorify  Christ  i'  He  will 

teach  us  to  understand  tliat  we  are  t  i  to  sin  and 
the  old  self,  that  Christ's  life  and  huniUily  a7  ■  ours. 

Thus  Christ's  humility  is  appropriated  iu  faith. 
This  may  take  place  at  once.  But  the  appropriation 
in  experience  is  gradual.  Our  thoughts  and  feelings, 
our  very  manners  and  conversation,  have  been  so  long 


IN  ma  HUMILITY". 


159 


midcr  the  doiuiiiioii  of  the  old  self,  tliat  it  takes 
tiiiH!  to  imbue  and  ])ernK'ale  and  transliji^ure  tlieni 
wilii  the  heavenly  li,L,'iit  of  ( 'hrist's  humility.  At  first 
llie  conseienee  is  not  perfectly  enli<^htened,  the 
sjiiritual  taste  and  the  jiovver  of  discernment  have  mtt 
yet  heen  exerciscMl.  l»ut  with  each  believinj^  renewal 
of  the  consecration  in  the  depth  of  the  soul:  'I 
have  surrendertrd  myself  to  bo  humble  like  Jesus,' 
[lower  will  go  out  from  lIim,to  till  the  whole  being, 
until  in  face,  and  voice,  and  action  the  sanctilicatiou 
of  the  S[)irit  will  be  observable,  and  the  Christian 
will  truly  be  clothed  with  humility. 

The  blessedness  of  a  Christlike  humility  is  un- 
speakable. It  is  of  great  worth  in  the  sight  of  (lod  : 
'  JFe  giveth  grace  to  the  humble.'  In  the  sjtiritufd 
life  it  is  the  source  of  rest  and  joy.  To  thi;  humble 
all  God  does  is  right  and  good.  Humility  is 
id  ways  ready  to  praise  God  for  the  Ic.ist  of  His 
mercies.  Humility  does  not  lind  it  diflicult  to  trust. 
It  sulmiits  unconditionally  to  all  that  God  says. 
Tlie  two  whom  Jesus  })raises  for  tlieir  great  faith 
are  just  those  who  thought  least  of  themselves.  The 
centurion  had  said,  '  I  am  not  worthy  that  Thou 
sliouldest  come  under  my  roof;'  the  SyropliLMiician 
Woman  was  content  to  be  numbered  with  the 
dogs.  In  intercourse  with  men  it  is  the  secret  of 
blessing  and  love.  The  humble  man  does  not  take 
ofl'ence,  and  is  very  careful  not  to  give  it.  He  is 
» \er  ready  to  serve  his  neighbour,  because  he  has 
k'iunt  from  Jesus  the  Divine  beauty  of  being  a 
Servant.     He  finds  favour  with  God  and  man. 


'  $ 


xll 


160 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


f'h: 


Oh  what  a  glorious  calling  for  the  followers  of 
Christ !  To  be  sent  into  the  world  by  God  to  prove 
that  there  is  nothing  more  divine  than  self-humilia- 
tion. The  humble  glorifies  God,  he  leads  others  to 
glorify  Him,  he  will  at  last  be  glorified  with  Him. 
Who  would  not  be  humble  like  Jesus  ? 


0  Thou,  who  didst  descend  from  heaven,  and  didst 
humble  Thyself  to  the  death  of  the  cross.  Thou  callest 
me  to  take  Thy  hamility  as  tiie  law  of  my  life. 

Lord,  teach  me  to  understand  the  absolute  need 
of  this.  A  proud  follower  of  the  humble  Jesus 
this  I  cannot,  I  may  not  be.  In  the  secrecy  of  my 
heart,  and  of  my  closet,  in  my  house,  in  presence  of 
friends  or  enemies,  in  prosperity  or  adversity,  I 
would  be  filled  with  Thy  humility. 

0  my  beloved  Lord !  I  feel  the  need  of  a  new, 
a  deeper  insight  into  Thy  crucifixion,  and  my  part 
in  it.  Reveal  to  me  how  my  old  proud  self  is  cruci- 
fied with  Thee.  Show  me  in  the  light  of  Thy  Spirit 
how  I,  God's  regenercvtC  child,  am  dead  to  sin  and 
its  power,  and  how  in  communion  with  Thee  sin 
is  powerless.  Lord  Jesus,  who  hast  conquered  sin, 
strengthen  in  me  the  faith  that  Thou  art  my  life,  and 
that  Thou  wilt  fill  me  with  Thy  humility  if  I  will 
submit  to  be  filled  with  Thyself  and  Thy  Holy  Spirit. 

Lord,  my  hope  is  in  Thee.  In  faith  in  Thee  I 
go  into  the  world  to  show  how  the  same  mind  that 
was  in  Thee  is  also  in  Thy  children,  and  teaches  us 
in  lowliness  of  mind  each  to  esteem  others  better 
than  himself.     May  God  help  us.     Amen. 


IN  THE  LIKENESS  OF  llIS  DEATH, 


IGl 


Twenty-Second  Day. 


LIKE  CHRIST: 

In  t!)e  3LiUcness  of  ©is  IBeatji^ 

'  For  if  we  have  been  planted  together  in  the  likeness  of  His 
death,  we  shall  be  also  in  the  likeness  of  His  resurrection.— For 
in  that  He  died,  He  died  unto  sin  once. —Likewise  reckon  ye 
also  yourselves  to  be  dead  unto  sin,  but  alive  unto  God  in  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.' — I'oAi.  vi.  5,  10,  11. 

IT  is  to  the  death  of  Christ  we  owe  our  salvation. 
The  better  we  understand  the  meaning  of  that 
(Icatli,  the  richer  will  be  onr  experience  of  its  power. 
Ill  tliese  words  we  arc  tau<Tht  what  it  is  to  be  one 
with  Christ  in  the  likeness  of  His  deatli.  Let 
every  one  who  t^uly  longs  to  be  like  Christ  in  his 
life,  seek  to  understand  ariglit  what  tlie  likeness  of 
His  death  means. 

Christ  had  a  double  work  to  accomplish  in  His 
(Iciitli.  The  one  was,  to  work  out  righteousness  for 
us,  the  other  to  obtain  life  for  us.  When  Scripture 
speaks  of  the  first  part  of  tliis  work,  it  uses  the 
expression,  Christ  died  for  our  sins :  He  took  siu 
upon  Himself,  bore  its  p-'Miishmcnt ;  so  He  made 
atonement,  and  brouu;irt  in  a  righteonv,ness  in  which 
we   could   stand    before    God.       When    Scripture 


162 


LIKE  CHEIST : 


..rol 


■' 


speaks  of  the  second  part  of  this  work,  it  uses  the 
e;i  pression :  He  died  to  sin.  Dying  for  sin  has 
reference  to  the  judicial  relation  between  Him  and 
sin :  God  laid  our  sin  upon  Him :  through  His 
death  atonement  is  made  for  sin  before  God. 
Dying  to  sin  has  reference  to  a  personal  relation  ; 
through  His  death  the  connection  in  which  He  stood 
to  sin  was  entirely  dissolved.  During  His  life  sin 
had  great  power  to  cause  Him  coniiict  and  suffering  : 
His  death  made  an  end  of  tliis.  Sin  had  now  no 
more  power  to  tempt  or  to  hurt  Him.  He  was 
beyond  its  reacli.  Deatli  had  completely  separated 
between  Him  and  sin.     Christ  died  to  sin. 

Like  Christ,  the  believer  too  has  died  to  sin  ;  lie 
is  one  with  Him,  in  the  likeness  of  His  dealli. 
And  as  the  knowledge  tliat  Christ  died  for  sin  us 
our  atonement  is  indispensable  to  our  justification; 
so  the  knowledge  that  Christ,  and  we  witli  Him  in 
the  likeness  of  His  death,  are  dead  to  sin,  is  indis- 
pensiible  to  our  sanctification.  Let  us  endeavour  to 
understand  this. 

It  was  as  the  second  Adam  that  Christ  died. 
With  the  first  Adam  we  had  been  planted  together 
in  the  likeness  of  Ms  death  :  he  died,  and  we  with 
him,  and  the  power  of  his  death  works  in  us ;  we 
have  in  very  deed  died  in  him,  as  truly  as  he 
himself  died.  We  understand  this.  Just  so  we 
are  one  plant  with  Christ  in  the  likeness  of  His 
death:  He  died  to  sin,  and  we  in  Him;  and  now 
the  power  of  His  death  works  in  us.  We  are 
indeed  dead  to  sin,  as  truly  so  as  He  Himself  is. 


w 

ii 

iC; 

i5 

'l:<!l 


IN  TEE  LIKENESS  OF  HIS  DEATH. 


163 


es  the 
in  has 
m  and 
yh  His 
3    God. 
ilation  ; 
[e  stoud 
life  sin 
iffcvinij;:   , 
now  no 
He  was 
3paratcd 

sin ;  he 
s  death, 
pr  sin  as 
itication ; 
Him  in 
is  indis- 
iavour  to 


Through  our  first  birth  we  were  made  partakers 
in  Adam's  death ;  through  our  second  birth  we 
liecome  partakers  in  the  death  of  the  .second  Adam. 
Every  believer  who  accepts  of  Christ  is  partaker  of 
the  power  of  His  death,  and  is  dead  to  sin.  But  a 
believer  may  have  much  of  which  he  is  ignorant. 
Most  believers  are  in  their  conversion  so  occupied 
with  Christ's  death /o?'sm  as  their  justification,  that 
tliey  do  not  seek  to  know  wliat  it  means,  that  in 
Ilim  they  are  dead  to  sin.  When  they  first  learn 
to  feel  their  need  of  Him  as  their  sanctification, 
then  the  desire  is  awakened  to  understand  this  like- 
ness of  His  deatli.  They  find  the  secret  of  holiness 
ill  it ;  that  as  Christ,  so  they  also  have  died  to  sin. 

The  Christian  who  does  not  understand  this  always 
imagines  that  sin  is  too  strong  for  Him,  that  sin  has 
still  power  over  him,  and  that  he  must  sometimes 
obey  it.  But  he  thinks  this  because  he  does  not 
know  that  he,  like  Christ,  is  dead  to  sin.  If  He 
but  believed  and  understood  what  this  means,  his 
lantruaiie  would  be,  Ohrist  has  died  to  sin.  Sin 
has  nothing  more  to  say  to  Him,  In  His  life  and 
death  sin  had  power  over  Him  ;  it  was  sin  that 
caused  Him  the  sufferings  of  the  cross,  and  the 
humiliation  of  the  grave,  liut  He  is  dead  to  sin  :  it 
has  lost  all  claim  over  Him,  He  is  entirely  and  for 
ever  freed  from  its  power.  Even  so  I  as  a  believer. 
The  new  life  that  is  in  me,  is  the  life  of  Christ 
from  the  dead,  a  life  that  has  been  begotten  through 
death,  a  life  that  is  entirely  dead  to  sin.'  The 
believer  as  a  new  creature  in  Ciirist  Jesus  can  glory 


164 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


and  say :  *  Like  Christ  I  am  dead  to  sin.  Sin  has 
no  right  or  power  over  me  wliatever.  I  am  freed 
from  it,  therefore  I  need  not  sin.* 

And  if  the  believer  still  sins,  it  is  because  he 
does  not  use  his  privilege  to  live  as  one  who  is 
dead  to  sin.  Through  ignorance  or  unwatchfulness 
or  unbelief,  he  forgets  the  meaning  and  the  power 
of  this  likeness  of  Christ's  death,  and  sins.  But  if 
he  holds  fast  what  his  participation  with  Christ's 
death  signifies,  he  has  the  power  to  overcome  sin. 
He  marks  well  that  it  is  not  said, '  Sin  is  dead.'  No, 
sin  is  not  dead ;  sin  lives  and  works  still  in  the 
llesh.  Ihit  he  himself  is  dead  to  sin,  and  alive  to 
God ;  and  so  sin  cannot  for  a  single  moment,  with- 
out his  consent,  have  dominion  over  him.  If  he 
sin,  itis  because  he  allows  it  to  reign,  and  submits 
himself  to  obey  it. 

Beloved  Christian,  who  seekest  to  be  like  Christ, 
tnke  the  likeness  of  His  death  as  one  of  the  most 
glorious  parts  of  the  life  you  covet.  Appropriate 
it  first  of  all  in  faith,  lleckon  that  you  are  indeed 
dead  to  sin.  Let  it  be  a  settled  thing ;  God  says 
it  to  every  one  of  His  children,  even  the  weakest ; 
say  it  before  Him  too :  '  Like  Christ  I  am  dead  to 
sin.'  Fear  not  to  say  it ;  it  is  the  truth.  Ask  the 
Holy  Spirit  earnestly  to  enlighten  you  with  regartl 
to  this  part  of  your  union  with  Christ,  so  that  it 
may  not  only  be  a  doctrine,  but  power  and  trutli. 

Endeavour  to  understand  more  deeply  what  it 
says  to  live  as  dead  to  sin,  as  one  who,  in  dying, 
has  been  freed  from  its  dominion,  and  who  can  now 


IN  THE  LIKENESS  OF  HIS  DEATH. 


165 


reign  in  life  through  Jesus 


Christ  over  it. 


Then 

there  will  follow  upon  the  likeness  of  His  death, 
accepted  in  faith,  the  conformity  to  His  death 
(riiil.  iii.),^  something  that  is  gradually  and  increas- 
ingly appropriated,  as  Christ's  death  manifests  its 
full  power  in  all  the  faculties  and  powers  of  your 
life. 

And  in  order  to  have  the  full  benefit  of  this 
likeness  of  Christ's  death,  notice  particularly  two 
tilings.  The  one  is  the  obligation  under  which  it 
brings  you,  '  How  shall  we  who  are  dead  to  sin  live 
any  longer  therein  ? '  Endeavour  to  enter  more 
deeply  into  the  meaning  of  this  death  of  Christ 
into  which  you  have  been  baptized.  His  death 
meant:  Eather  die  than  sin  :  willing  to  die  in  order 
to  overcome  sin :  dead,  and  therefore  released  from 
tlie  power  of  sin.  Let  this  also  be  your  position : 
'Know  ye  not,  that  as  many  of  us  as  were  baptized 
into  Jesus  Christ  were  baptized  into  His  death?* 
Let  the  Holy  Spirit  baptize  you  continunlly  deeper 
into  His  death,  until  the  power  of  God's  Word,  dead 
to  sin  until  the  confornutv  to  Christ's  death,  is 
discernible  in  all  your  walk  a  ad  conversation. 

The  other  lesson  is  this :  The  likeness  of  Christ's 
death  is  not  only  an  obligation  but  a  power.       0 

^  The  lilceness  of  Christ's  death  in  Rom.  vi.  precedes  the  likeness 
of  Ills  resurrection  ;  no  one  can  be  made  alive  in  Him  who  has 
lint  j^iven  himself  up  to  die  with  Him.  The.  conformity  to  Chntit'a 
death  in  Phil.  iii.  is  spoken  of  as  coming  after  tlio  knowing  Him 
in  the  power  of  Ilis  resurrection  :  the  growth  of  the  resurrection 
life  within  us  leads  to  a  deeper  experience  of  the  death.  The  two 
continually  act  and  react. 


III  1 


I 


166 


LIKIi  CHRIST: 


Christian  longing  to  be  Christlike,  if  there  be  one 
thing  you  need  more  than  and  above  all  else,  it  is 
tnis :  to  know  the  exceeding  greatness  of  God's  power 
that  worketh  in  you.  It  was  in  the  power  of 
eternity  thnt  Christ  in  His  death  wrestled  with  tlie 
powers  of  hell  and  conquered.  You  have  part  with 
Christ  in  His  death ;  you  have  part  in  all  tlie 
powers  by  whi"h  He  conquered.  Yield  yourself 
joyfully  and  believingly  to  be  led  more  deeply  into 
the  conformity  to  Christ's  death,  then  you  cannot 
but  become  like  Him. 

0  my  Lord  !  how  little  I  have  understood  Thy 
grace.  I  have  often  read  the  words,  '  planted  into 
the  likeness  of  His  death,'  and  seen  that  as  Thou 
didst  die  to  sin,  so  it  is  said  to  Thy  believing  people, 
*  Likewise  also  ye.'  But  I  have  not  understood  its 
po^ver.  And  so  it  came  that,  not  knowing  the 
likeness  of  Tliy  death,  I  knew  not  that  1  was  free 
from  the  power  of  sin,  and  as  a  conqueror  could 
have  dominion  over  it.  Lord,  Thou  hast  indeed 
opened  to  me  a  glorious  prospect.  The  man  wlio 
believingly  accepts  the  likeness  of  Tliy  death,  and 
according  to  Thy  Word  reckons  ^  niself  dead  to  .siu 
— sin  shall  not  have  dominion  over  him;  he  lias 
power  to  live  for  God. 

Lord,  let  Thy  Holy  Spirit  reveal  this  to  nie 
more  perfecily.  I  wisli  to  take  Thy  word  in 
simple  faith,  to  take  the  position  Thou  assignest  me 
as  one  who  in  Thee  is  dead  to  sin.  Lord,  in  Thee 
I  am  dead  to  sin.      Teach  me  to  hold  it  fast,  or 


IN  THE  LIKENESS  OF  HIS  DEATH. 


167 


rntlier  to  hold  Thee  fast  in  faith,  until  my  whole 
life  be  a  proof  of  it.  0  Lord,  take  me  up  and 
keep  me  in  communion  with  Thyself,  that,  abiding 
in  Thee,  I  may  find  in  Thee  the  death  unto  sin  and 
the  life  unto  God.     Amen. 


i  'I 
■'1 


NOTE. 

At  a  meeting  of  ministers,  where  these  words  in  Eom. 
vi.  11  were  being  discussed,  the  question  was  asked 
Ity  the  leader,  which  of  the  five  different  thoughts  of  the 
vtsrse  was  the  most  important.  He  pointed  out  what 
tlicse  thoughts  were.  Tiie  first,  likewise  also  ye,  suggesting 
tlie  complete  likeness  to  Him  of  whom  it  had  just  been 
s.iid,  '  In  that  He  died.  He  died  unto  sin  once ;  in  that 
1  It;  liveth,  He  liveth  unto  God.'  The  second,  reckon  ijovr- 
sdces,  the  command  'n  which  the  duty  of  a  large  but 
simitle  faith  is  laid  upon  us.  Then,  dead  indeed  to  sin, 
tlie  ti'uth  in  which  the  teaching  of  the  previous  verses  is 
Minuiicd  up.  Next,  alive  unto  God,  the  never-failing 
accompaniment  and  the  blessing  of  the  death  to  sin. 
And  then,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Loi'd^  in  Him  who  is 
c\er  root  and  centre  of  all  Scripture  teaching.  Which 
of  these  clauses  must  be  considered  as  that  the  right 
understanding  of  which  is  most  essential  to  the  full 
experience  of  the  whole] 

The  first  answer  was  at  once  given,  ^dead  unto  sin.' 
It  is  certainly  this  expression,  the  leader  remarked,  thai 
above  all  has  created  such  deep  interest  in  this  verse, 
and  stirred  so  much  earnest  striving  to  realize  what  it 
implies.  And  yet  it  does  not  appear  to  me  the  most 
important. 

^  Alive  unto  God^^  was  the  answer  of  a  second.  For  it 
is  the  life  of  Jesus  given  to  us  in  regeneration  that 
makes  us  partakers  of  His  death  and  its  power  over 


*  V' 


-'  m 


..Li  ' 


Ilffll 


168 


LIKE  CHKIST: 


sin.  'Dead  unto  sin 'is  only  the  negative  aspect  of  what 
we  have  as  a  positive  reality  in  being  alive  unto  God. 
If  we  looked  more  at  the  'alive  unto  God,*  the  'dead 
unto  sin  *  would  be  better  understood. 

•  Reckon  yourselves '  was  suggested  by  a  third,  is  not 
this  command  to  act  faith  in  what  has  been  prepan  d  us 
of  God  tlie  chief  thought  of  the  verse,  and  that,  there- 
fore, to  whicli  our  chief  attention  must  be  given  1 

Another  brother  now  said,  *  TJmnujh  Jesus  Christ  mir 
Lord.'  Our  leader  said  :  I  think  1  have  lately  been 
taught  that  this  is  indeed  that  on  the  right  apprehension 
of  which  tlje  power  of  the  whole  verse  depends. 

How  many  have  been  looking  most  earnestly  for  the 
full  insight  into  the  blessedness  of  being  dead  unto  sin 
and  alive  unto  God,  and  yet  have  failed  !  How  often  we 
have  heard  them  pray, '  Lord,  we  arc  not  yet  utterly  d(  ad, 
but  we  long  to  be  so'!  How  many  others,  who  have 
better  understood  the  text,  and  have  seen  that  everytliinir 
depends  upon  the  'Reckon  yourselves  to  be  dead,'  u])()ii 
the  faith  that  accepts  God's  statement  of  what  is  already 
true  and  sure,  yet  confess  that  their  faith  is  not  followed 
by  the  power  and  the  blessing  they  hoped  for  ! 

The  mistake  has  been  this :  they  have  been  more 
occupied  with  the  blessings  to  be  had  in  Jesus,  'dead 
unto  sin,'  ' alive  unto  God,'  and  the  question  as  to  tluir 
experience  of  them,  or  even  with  the  effort  to  exercise 
a  strong  abiding  faith  in  these  blessings  as  theirs,  than 
with  Jesus  niMSi':F.F,  in  whom  both  Ihe  l)lessiugs,  and 
the  faith  that  sees  them,  are  ours.  The  death  unto  sin, 
the  life  unto  God,  are  His  (see  ver.  10),  are  IN  Hlm, 
accomplished,  living,  actual,  mighty  realities  ;  it  is  as  v:e 
(ire  IN  Him,  and  know  ourselves  to  be  in  Ilim,  and  so 
come  away  out  of  ouivelves  to  be  and  abide  in,  Him  only 
and  always,  that  the  blessings  which  there  are  in  Him 
will,  in  the  most  simple  and  natural  way  possible, 
spontaneously  become  ours  in  exjieiicnce,  and  that  wo 
shall  be  strengthened  in  faith  to  claim  and  enjoy  them. 
It  must  be  Christ  Jesus  first  and  Christ  Jesus  last,  lie 
must  be  all. 


IN  THE  LIKENESS  OF  HIS  DEATH. 


IGO 


See  how  clearly  this  comes  out  in  tho  third  verse  of 
the  chapter :  '  Know  ye  not  that  so  many  of  us  as 
were  baptized  info  Jems  ChrUt,  were  baptized  into 
Uk  death?'  The  baptism  into  Jesus  Christ  was  tho 
first  thing — that  thoy  liad  understood  and  accepter  I ; 
the  bai)tisra  into  His  death  followed  from  it — this  they 
wore  now  yet  to  learn  the  meaning  of.  Tlie  Lord  Jesu:^ 
hal  been  baptized  with  water  and  with  the  Holy  8i)irit, 
an<l  yet  He  spoke  of  a  baptism  yet  to  come  ;  the  full 
outcome  of  His  first  baptism  was  to  be  the  death  of  the 
cross.  Even  so  it  is  with  us.  When  baptized  unto 
Christ  we  *put  on  Christ'  (Gal.  iii.  27),  wo  are  made 
partakers  of  Him  and  all  He  is  and  was,  of  His  death 
too.  But  it  is  only  in  course  of  time  that  wo  get  to 
niider.stand  this,  and  really  to  claim  the  power  of  His 
(icatli  unto  sin  and  His  living  unto  God.  But  we  can 
(U>  this  successfully  only  as  we  hold  fast  th«j  initial 
all-com))rehensive  blessing,  baptized  INTO  CnmsT.  It  is 
the  faith  that  goes  away  out  to  take  its  abo(l(!  consciously 
and  permanently  in  Jesns  that  Avill  have  the  power 
to  say,  'In  CFtiiiST  Jesus'  we  are  dead  unto  sin,  and 
alive  unto  God  ;  '  in  Christ  Jesus,'  we  do  boldly  reckon 
ourselves  dead  unto  sin  and  alive  unto  God. 

'  nai)tized  into  His  death  :'  what  a  word  !  The  death 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  was  the  chief  thing  almut  Him;  it 
tiives  Him  His  beauty,  His  glory,  His  victory,  His 
power.  In  the  complete  conformity  to  this,  the  highest 
[irivilege  of  the  Christian  consists.  To  Ix;  immersed, 
plini,:^^ed  into,  steeped  in  tho  death  of  Christ,  the  wholo 
lieing  penetrated  with  the  spirit  of  that  death,  its 
obedience,  its  self-sacrifice,  its  utter  giving  nyt  of  every- 
thing that  is  of  nature,  that  has  been  in  contact  with  sin, 
to  pass  through  the  death  into  the  new  life  that  God 
L'ives  :  this  must  be  the  hiuhest  longing  of  the  Christian. 
H(!  has  IxH'U  baptized  into  th(!  death  :  He  yields  himself 
to  the  Holy  Spirit  to  have  all  that  it  contains  uiilolded 
and  ap])lied.  And  he  does  this  in  simple  faith  :  he 
knows  that  in  Christ  Jesns  he  is  dead  unto  sin  and  alive 
unto  God.     Just  as  the  life  unto  God  is  a  complete  and 


i:i 


170 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


^  ;;«: 


!        -! 


perfect  thing,  and  yet  subject  to  the  law  of  growtli  and 
increase,  so  that  he  goes  on  to  life  more  abundant,  so 
with  the  death  to  sin.  In  Christ  he  is  dead  unto  sin, 
completely  and  entirely,  and  yet  the  full  enjoyment  ot' 
what  that  death  means  and  works  in  all  its  extent  is 
matter  of  growing  intelligence  and  experience. 

But  let  us  beware  of  wearying  ourselves — how  often 
we  have  done  so ! — with  trying  more  to  comprdicnd 
exactly,  and  to  realize  feelingly,  what  this  death  to  sin 
is,  and  what  the  conscious  reckoning  ourselves  dead  is, 
than  to  remember  that  all  this  comes  only  as  we  iire 
ami  abide  IN  Christ  Jesus,  in  whom  alone  tlicso 
blessings  are  ours.  I  may  be  so  occu})ied  with  the 
blessings  and  their  pursuit,  that  I  lose  sight  and  liold 
of  Him  in  whom  I  must  bo  abiding  most  entirely  if 
I  am  to  enjoy  them.  Let  my  first  aim  be  in  whole- 
hearted faith  and  obedience  to  dwell  in  Jesus,  in  whnm 
are  the  death  unto  sin  and  the  life  unto  God  :  the  whole 
state  of  being  which  is  imidied  in  these  words  is  Ilis  - 
He  lives  it,  it  is  His  alone — as  I  lose  myself  in  Him,  I 
may  rest  assured  that  the  blessing  I  long  for  will  come, 
or  rather,  I  shall  know  that  in  Him  1  have  the  thing 
itself,  that  Divine  life  out  of  death  working  in  me,  even 
when  I  know  not  exactly  to  describe  it  in  words.  And 
I  shall  see  how  the  whole  power  and  blessedness  of  the 
command  gathers  itself  into  the  closing  clause,  'Likewii-o 
also  ye,  reckon  yourselves  to  be  indeed  dead  unto  sin, 
and  alive  unto  God,  in  Christ  Jesus.'  In  Christ  is 
the  root  of  Like  Christ. 


IN  THE  TJKENESS  OF  UIS  KKSUUUKCTION,        l7l 


Twenty-Third  Day. 


mmi 


LIKE  CHRIST: 

In  t!)e  Hiftcticjss  of  ©is  Mcsurrcctfom 

'  For  if  we  have  been  planted  together  in  the  likeness  of  Hia 
death,  we  should  be  also  in  the  likeness  of  His  resurrection,  that 
iiho  as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of  His 
Father,  euen  ao  we  also  should  walk  in  newness  of  life/ — lioM. 


T'l) 


vi.  5,  4. 


ON  the  likeness  of  His  death  tliere  follows  neces- 
siirily  the  likeness  of  His  resurrection.  To 
speak  alone  of  the  likeness  of  His  death,  of  bearinj» 
the  cross,  and  of  self-denial,  gives  a  onesided  view 
ut"  following  Christ.  It  is  only  the  power  of  His 
n'surrection  that  gives  us  strength  to  go  on  from 
I  hat  likeness  of  His  death  as  what  we  receive  at 
mice  by  faith,  to  that  conformity  to  His  death  which 
(■nines  as  the  growth  of  tlie  inner  life.  Being  dead 
with  Christ  refers  more  to  the  death  of  the  old  life 
to  sin  and  the  world  which  we  abandon ;  risen  with 
Christ  refers  to  the  new  life  through  wliich  the 
Holy  Spirit  expels  the  old.  To  the  Christian  who 
earnestly  desires  to  walk  as  Christ  did,  the  know- 
ledge of  this  likeness  of  His  resurrection  is  indispens- 
able.    Let  us  see  if  we  do  jiot  here  get  the  answer 


i 


% 


Wv„ 


L'JS; 


172 


LIKE  C1IUI3T: 


to  the  question  as  to  where  we  shall  find  strength 
to  live  in  the  world  as  Christ  did. 

Wo  have  already  seen  how  our  Lord's  life  before 
His  death  was  a  life  of  weaku(\ss.  As  our  Surety, 
sin  had  fjreat  power  over  Him.  It  had  also  power 
over  His  disciples,  so  that  He  could  not  {,'ive  them 
the  Holy  Spirit,  or  do  for  them  what  He  wished. 
But  with  the  resurrection  all  was  clianged.  liaised 
by  the  Alnii,L,dity  power  of  God,  His  resurrection  life 
was  full  of  the  power  of  eternity.  He  hnd  not  only 
con([uered  death  and  sin  for  Himself  but  for  1 1  is 
disciples,  so  that  He  could  i'rom  the  iirst  day  make 
them  partakers  of  His  Spirit,  of  His  joy,  and  of  His 
heavenly  power. 

When  the  Lord  Jesus  now  makes  us  partakers 
of  His  life,  then  it  is  not  the  life  that  He  liad 
before  His  death,  but  the  resurrection  life  that  He 
won  through  death.  A  life  in  which  sin  if=i  alreiuly 
made  an  end  of  and  put  away,  a  life  that  lias 
already  conquered  hell  and  the  devil,  the  world  and 
the  flesh,  a  life  of  Divine  power  in  human  nature. 
This  is  the  life  that  likeness  to  His  resurrection 
gives  us:  'In  that  He  liveth,  He  liveth  unto  (Jod. 
Ye  also  likciuise,  reckon  yourselves  alive  unto  Clod 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.'  Oh  that  throuL,di 
the  Holy  Spirit  God  might  reveal  to  us  the  glory 
of  the  life  in  the  likeness  of  Christ's  resurrection ! 
In  it  we  find  the  secret  of  power  for  a  life  of 
conformity  to  Him. 

To  most  Christians  this  is  a  mystery,  and  there- 
fore their  life  is  full  of  sin  and  weakness  and  defeat 


\:w'- 


v« 


IN  THE  LIKENESS  OF  HIS  RESUKRECTION.        173 

They  believe  in  Christ's  resurrection  as  the  sufficient 
])r()of  of  their  justification.  They  think  that  He 
had  to  rise  again,  to  continue  His  work  in  heaven 
as  Mediator.  But  that  He  rose  a,ij;ain,  in  order  tliat 
His  glorious  resurrection  life  might  now  be  the  very 
jwujcr  of  their  daily  life,  of  this  they  have  no  idea. 
Hence  their  hopelessness  when  they  liear  of  follow- 
ing Jesus  fully,  and  being  perfectly  conformed  to 
His  image.  They  cannot  imagine  how  it  can  be 
re(|uired  of  a  sinner,  that  he  should  in  all  tilings  act 
as  (Jhrist  would  have  done.  They  do  not  know 
Ciirist  in  the  power  of  His  resurrection,  or  the 
mighty  power  with  which  His  life  now  works  in 
llidse,  who  are  willing  to  count  all  tilings  but  loss 
for  His  sake  (Phil.  iii.  8  ;  Ej)h.  i.  19,  20).  Come, 
all  ye  who  are  weary  of  a  life  unlike  Jesus,  and  lung 
to  walk  always  in  His  footsteps,  who  begin  to  see 
tliat  there  is  in  the  Scriptures  a  better  life  for  you 
tlian  you  have  hitherto  known,  come  and  let  me  try 
to  show  you  ther  unspeakable  treasure  that  is  yours, 
in  your  likeness  to  Christ  in  His  resurrection.  Let 
me  ask  three  questions. 

The  first  is :  Are  you  ready  to  surrender  your 
life  to  the  rule  of  Jesus  and  His  resurrection  life  ? 
I  doubt  not  that  the  contemplation  of  Christ's 
example  has  convinced  you  of  sin  in  more  than  one 
piiint.  In  seeking  your  own  will  and  glory  instead 
of  God's,  in  ambition  and  pride  and  selfishness 
and  want  of  love  towards  man,  you  have  seen  how 
far  }  ou  r^'^  from  the  obedience  and  humility  and 
love  of  Je  And  now  it  is  the  question,  whether 


m 


m 


174 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


in  view  of  all  tliese  things,  in  which  you  havo 
acknowledged  sin,  you  are  willing  to  say:  If  Jesus 
will  take  possession  of  my  life,  then  I  resign  all 
right  or  wish  ever  in  the  least  to  have  or  to  do  my 
own  will.  I  give  my  life  with  all  I  have  and  am 
entirely  to  Him,  always  to  do  what  He  through  His 
Word  and  Spirit  commands  me.  If  He  will  live 
and  o'ule  in  me,  I  promise  unbounded  and  hearty 
obedience. 

For  such  a  surrender  faith  is  needed ;  therefore 
the  second  question  is  :  Are  you  prepared  to  believe 
that  Jesus  will  take  possession  of  the  life  entrusted 
to  Him,  and  that  He  will  rule  and  keep  it  ?  When 
the  believer  entrusts  his  entire  spiritual  and 
temporal  life  completely  tc  Christ,  then  he  learns  to 
understand  aright  I'aul's  words :  '  I  am  dead  ;  I  live 
no  more :  Christ  liveth  in  me.'  Dead  with  Christ 
and  risen  again,  the  living  Christ  in  His  resuiree- 
tion  life  takes  possession  of  and  rules  my  new  lite. 
The  resurrection  life  is  not  a  thing  that  I  may  have 
if  I  can  undertake  to  keep  it:  No.  just  this  is  what 
I  cannot  do.  But  blessed  be  God!  Jesus  Ciiuist 
Himself  is  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  is  the  resur- 
rection life.  He  Himself  will  from  day  to  day  and 
hour  to  hour  s<>e  to  it  and  ensure  that  I  live  as  one 
v:ho  is  risen  wilh  Him.  He  does  it  through  that 
Holy  Spirit  who  is  the  Spirit  of  His  risen  life.  The 
Holy  Spirit  is  in  us,  and  will,  if  we  trust  Jesus  for 
it,  maintain  within  us  every  moment  t^^e  presence 
and  power  of  the  risen  Lord.  We  need  not  fear, 
that  we  never  can  succeed  in  leading  such  e  holy 


IN  THE  LIKENESS  OF  HIS  RESUERECTION.        175 


-r-^'-'i 


life  as  becomes  those  who  are  temples  of  the  living 
God.  We  are  indeed  not  able.  But  it  is  not 
leqiiired  of  us.  The  living  Jesus,  who  is  the  resur- 
reclion,  has  shown  His  power  over  all  our  enemies ; 
He.  Himself,  who  so  loves  us,  He  will  work  it  in  us. 
He;  gives  us  the  Holy  Spirit  as  our  power,  and  He 
will  perform  His  work  in  us  with  Divine  faithfulness, 
if  we  will  only  trust  Him ;  Christ  Himself  is  our 
life. 

And  now  comes  the  third  question  :  Are  you 
ready  to  use  this  resurrection  life  for  the  purpose 
for  which  God  gave  it  Him^  and  gives  it  to  you,  as  a 
|)i>wor  of  blessing  to  the  lost  ?  All  desires  after  the 
resurrection  life  will  fail,  if  we  are  only  secddng 
our  own  perfection  and  hap])iness,  God  raised  up 
and  exalted  Jesus  to  give  rci)entance  and  remission 
of  sins.  He  ever  lives  to  pray  for  sinners.  Yield 
yourself  to  receive  His  resurrection  life  with  the 
same  aim.  Give  yourself'  wholly  to  working  and 
praying  for  the  perishing :  then  will  you  become  a 
tit  vessel  and  instrument  in  which  the  resurrection 
life  can  dwell  and  work  out  its  glorious  purposes. 

Ih-other!  thy  calling  is  to  live  like  Christ.  To 
this  end  thoio  hast  alrecuhj  been  made  onr.  ivit/i  Hi  ■. 
in  the  likeness  of  His  resurrection.  The  only 
question  is  now,  whether  thou  art  desirous  after  the 
full  experience  of  His  resurrection  life,  whether 
thou  art  willing  to  surrender  thy  whole  life  that 
He  Himself  may  jnanifest  resurrection  power  in 
every  part  of  it.  I  pray  thee,  do  not  draw  back. 
Offer   thyself   unreservedly   to   Him,   with    all   thy 


If  il 


i 


III 


V) 

|t;' 


:i^     ' 


17G 


LIKE  CHKIST : 


weakness  and  unfaithfulness.  Believe  that  as  His 
resurrection  was  a  wonder  above  all  tliought  and 
expectation,  so  He  as  the  liisen  One  will  still  work 
in  tlice  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  thou  couldst 
think  or  desire. 

What  a  diflercnce  there  was  in  the  life  of  V 
disciples  before  Jesus'  death  and  after  His  resurrec- 
tion !  Then  all  was  weakness  and  fear,  self  and  sin  : 
with  the  resurrection  all  was  power  and  joy,  life  and 
love,  and  glory.  Just  as  great  will  the  change  be, 
wheir  a  believer,  who  has  known  Jesus'  resurrection 
only  as  the  ground  of  his  justification,  but  has  no'. 
known  of  the  likeness  of  His  resurrection,  discover^ 
how  the  IJisen  One  will  Himself  be  his  life,  and  in 
very  deed  take  on  Himself  the  responsibility  for  the 
whole  of  that  life.  Oh,  brotlier,  who  liast  not  yet 
exi)erieiiced  tliis,  who  art  troubled  and  weary 
because  thou  art  called  to  walk  like  Chiist,  and 
canst  not  do  it,  come  and  taste  the  blessedness  of 
giving  thy  whole  life  to  the  liisen  Saviour  in  the 
assun».nce  tliat  He  v/ill  live  it  for  thee. 

0  Lord !  my  soul  adores  Tliee  as  the  Prince  of 
life!  On  the  cross  Tliou  didst  conquer  each  one  of 
my  enemies,  the  devil,  tlie  llesh,  the  world,  and  sin, 
As  Conqueier  thou  didst  rise  to  numifesL  and  main- 
tain tlie  }towi>r  of  Tliy  risen  life  in  Thy  peoide. 
Thou  hast  made  them  one  with  Thyself  in  the  like- 
ness of  Thy  resurrection  ;  now  Thou  wilt  live  in 
them,  and  show  forth  in  tlieir  earthly  life  the  power 
of  Thy  heaveidy  life. 


t 


IN  THE  LIKEN KSS  OF  HIS  RESURRECTION.       177 

Praised  be  Thy  name  for  this  wonrlerfiil  grace. 
r>l('ssed  Lord,  I  conie  at  Thy  invitation  to  offer  and 
surronder  to  Thee  my  life,  with  all  it  implies.  Too 
lui)^'  have  I  striven  in  my  own  stronLrth  to  live  like 
Tliee,  and  not  succeeded.  Tlic  more  I  sought  to 
walk  like  Thee,  the  dee]»er  was  my  disappointment. 
I  have  heard  of  Thy  disciples  who  tell  how  l)l('Ssod 
it  is  to  cast  all  care  and  respo.  sii»ility  for  their  life 
on  Tliee.  Lord,  I  am  risen  with  Thee,  one  with 
'i'hee  in  tlie  likeness  of  Thy  resurrection  ;  come  and 
take  me  entirely  for  Thy  own,  and  he  Tliou  my 
life.  . 

Ahove  all,  I  beseech  Thee,  0  my  Kiscn  Lord, 
](;veal  Tliyself  to  me,  as  Thou  didst  to  Thy  lirst 
disciples,  in  the  power  of  Thy  resurrection.  It 
was  not  enough  that  after  'J'h}  resurrection 
Tliou  didst  a})p(;ar  to  Thy  di.sciples ;  they  knew 
riu^e  not  till  TIlou  didst  mnhi  ThysiJf  known. 
Lord  Jesus !  I  do  believe  in  Thee  ;  he  jdeasrd,  0 
hi'  plrascd  to  make  Thyself  knovm  to  me  as  my  Life. 
It  is  Thy  work;  Thou  alone  canst  do  it.  I  trust 
Tlice  for  it.  And  so  shall  my  resurrection  life  be, 
like  Tliine  own,  a  continual  source  of  li^ht  and 
l)les8inir  to  all  who  are  neediiti'  Thee.     Amen. 


;4:1  ^: 


NOTE. 


I  add  hrre  an  extract  from  ^^a^sllr1^1  On  Sanrfi/i ration, 
in  which  the  reahty  of  our  beiu'i^  partakers  witli  Jesus  of 
the  very  nature  in  which  He  lived  and  died  and  rose 
again,  is  very  clearly  put. 


178 


LIKE  GIIKIST: 


I  have  often  regretted  that  the  somewhat  aiiti([uat(('l 
stylu  ot"  this  writer,  and  the  introduction  of  cjuestifjns  iidt 
of  immediate  interest  to  the  soul  seeking  the  path  of 
holiness,  prevents  liis  l)ook  from  hc'iug  as  well  known  ;is 
it  deserves  to  be.  It  is  on  all  hands  acknowledged  to  ho 
tln^  one  standard  work  on  the  sid)ject.  It  has  been  iiivm 
him  by  God's  Spirit  with  wonderful  sini])licity  to  set  foiih 
the  great  truth  that  holiness  is  a  new  life,  a  new  natuiv, 
jirepared  for  us  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  that  therefore  evcrv 
hU'Y>  in  the  pathway  of  holiness,  Avhether  in  the  use  of 
the  means  of  grace  or  in  obeying  God's  commaiuls,  must 
bo  o'le  of  faith.  I  have  thought  that  an  abridgment  of 
the  work,  in  which  all  that  is  essential  is  provided  in  the 
authors  own  Avords,  would  supply  a  real  want,  and  mi^ht 
be  a  blessing  to  many.  I  have  prepared  such  an  abridg- 
ment, which  has  been  issued  by  the  ])ublishers  of  the 
present  work,  under  the  title  of  The  Iliijhwai/  of  Ilvluias, 

'  The  end  of  Christ's  incarnation,  death,  and  resurrection 
was  to  prcpd/re  and  form  an  Jio^y  nature  and  fraiite  fur  iia  in 
Himself,  to  he  comiiiuuiafed  fo  «,s'  hi/  miion.  and  lellowship 
with  Him ;  and  not  to  enable  us  to  })roduce  in  ourselves 
the  first  original  of  such  an  holy  nature  by  our  own 
endeavours. 

'  1.  By  His  incarnation  \\\('Y a  was  a  man  crcatc<l  in  a  new 
holy  frame,  after  the  holiness  of  the  first  Adam's  frame 
had  been  marred  and  abolished  by  the  first  transgressi(Hi ; 
and  this  new  frame  Avas  far  more  exodlent  than  ever  tlie 
first  A<lam's  was,  because  man  was  really  joined  to  (!ol 
by  a  close,  inseparable  union  of  the  divine  and  human 
nature  in  one  person — Christ;  so  that  these  natures  had 
communion  each  with  other  in  their  actings,  and  Chiit-t 
was  able  to  act  in  His  human  native  by  jiovver  prnprr 
to  the  divine  nature,  wherein  He  was  one  God  with  the 
Father. 

'  Why  was  it  that  Chriht  set  up  the  fallen  nittnre  ofwnn 
in  such  a  wonderfnl  frame  of  holiness,  in  hmyjinij  it  to  live 
and  act  hij  connniinion  leith  God  living  and  acting  in  HI 


IN  THE  LIKENESS  OF  HIS  liESUKlJECTION. 


179 


tiquattil 
ions  111  it 
path  of 
now  11  as 
5t'»l  to  lie 
icn  |L:iv<  n 
set  fitrlli 
\r  naluii', 
ire  every 
10  use  of 
ids,  must 
lenient  of 
led  inllio 
lid  iiii.4lit 
lu  al)rid;j;- 
rs  of  the 
'  Holiness. 

■iurrcotinii 

/'(//•  //,s  lit 

lh)\vship 

ourselves 

our  own 

ill  a  new 
Ill's  frame 
Is^ressitiii ; 
"ever  the 
Id  to  Col 
d  human 
tures  had 
id  ChiUt 
.f  prMptT 
I  with  tht' 

\re  ofw'in 

it  to  live 

vg  ill  it^ 


One  great  end  was,  iJiat  He  might  cornmimirate  tJiis  excellent 
fidiiie  to  His  seed  that  shf  Id  by  His  Spirit  be  born  of 
Hiiu  and  be  in  Him  as  the  last  AcUini,  the  quickening 
Si)int ;  that,  as  we  Jia\  e  borne  the  image  of  the  earthly 
man,  so  we  might  also  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly 
(1  Cor.  XV.  45,  49),  in  holiiu'ss  here  and  in  glory  here- 
after. Thus  He  was  born  Emmanuel,  (jlod  Avith  us; 
heeause  Jie  fulness  of  the  Godhead  loitli  all  holiness  did  first 
dwell  in  Ilnii  botlily,  even  m  His  human  natnre,  that  we 
might  be  filled  with  that  fulness  in  ilini  (Miitt.  i.  23; 
Col.  ii.  9,  10).  Thus  He  came  down  from  heaven  as  living 
])r(;ad,  that,  as  He  liveth  by  the  Father,  so  those  that 
eat  Hinx  may  live  by  Him  (John  vi.  51,  57);  by  the 
i<aine  life  of  (tod  in  l/ie/ii  that  was  first  in  Him. 

"2.  By  His  death  He  freed  Himself  from  tlie  guilt  of 
our  sins  imputed  to  Him,  and  from  all  that  innocent 
weakness  of  human  nature  which  He  had  borne  lor  a 
time  for  our  sakes.  And,  by  freeing  Himself,  HepTeparcd 
afreedmn  for  usfrimi  our  uhole  natural  condition;  which  is 
both  weak  as  His  was,  and  also  polluted  with  our  guilt  and 
siiiltil  corruption.  Thus  the  corrupt  natural  state  v,  hieh 
is  called  in  Scripture  the  '*  old  man  "  was  crucitied  together 
with  Christ,  that  the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed. 
And  it  is  destroyed  in  us,  not  by  any  wounds  which  wo 
ourselves  can  give  it,  but  by  »>ur  ])artaking  of  that 
fi'cetloui  from  it,  aiivl  death  unto  it,  that  is  alicadi/  itrought 
i>ut  f/T  US  by  tli«  death  of  Christ;  as  is  sigiiified  by 
our  baptism,  wherein  we  are  buried  with  Christ  by 
the  application  of  His  death  to  us  (Kom.  vi.  li,  3,  4, 
1<»,  11). 

'Cod  "sending  His  own  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful 
llesh,  for  sin  (or  'by  a  sacrihce  for  sin,'  as  iii  the  margin) 
ciiiidemned  sin  in  the  llesh,  that  the  righteousiie-s  of  the 
law  might  be  rullilled  in  us,  who  walk  not  after  the  tlesk, 
hut  alter  the  spirit"  (Hoin.  viii.  3,  4).  Ol>-'rve  here, 
that  though  Christ  died  that  we  might  li»tt  JBstitit<l  by 
ihe  righteousness  of  God  and  nf  faith,  not  b%  our  own 
li^^hteousness,  which  is  of  the  law  (Rom.  x,  4-0  ;  Phil. 


180 


LIKE  (JHKIST: 


iii.  9),  yet  He  died  aho,  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law 
miglit  be  fulfilled  in  us,  and  that  by  walking  after  His 
Spirit,  as  those  that  are  in  Christ  (liom.  viii.  4).  He  is 
resembled  in  His  death  to  a  corn  of  wheat  dying  in  t\m 
earth  that  it  may  propagate  its  own  nature  by  bringing 
forth  much  fi  uit  (John  xii.  24) ;  to  the  })assover  that  was 
slain,  that  a  feast  might  be  kept  upon  it ;  and  to  bread 
broken  that  it  may  be  nourishment  to  those  that  eat  it 
(1  Cor.  V.  7,  8,  and  xi,  24) ;  to  the  rock  smitten  that 
water  migiit  gush  out  of  it  for  us  to  drink  (1  Cor.  x.  4). 

*  He  died  that  He  might  make  of  Jew  and  Gentile  one 
new  man  in  Himself  (Eph.  ii.  15);  and  that  He  might 
see  His  seed,  i.e.  such  as  derive  tlieir  holy  nature  from 
Him  (Isa.  liii.  10).  Let  these  Scriptures  be  well  observed, 
and  they  will  sufficitmtly  evidence  that  Christ  died,  not 
that  we  might  bo  able  to  form  an  holy  nature  in  our- 
selves, but  that  we  might  receive  oiie  ready  prepared  and 
formed  in  Christ  for  us,  by  union  and  fellowship  with 
Him. 

'  3.  By  His  resurrection  He  took  possession  of  spiritual  life 
for  us,  n^  now  fully  procured  for  us,  and  made  to  be  our 
right  and  property  by  the  merit  of  His  death,  and  there- 
fore we  are  said  to  be  quickened  together  with  Christ.  His 
resurrection  was  our  resurrection  to  the  life  of  holiness,  as 
Adam's  fall  was  our  fall  into  spiritual  death.  And  we 
are  not  ourselves  the  first  makers  and  formers  of  our  new 
holy  nature,  any  more  than  of  our  original  corruj)tion, 
but  both  are  formed  ready  for  us  to  partake  of  them. 
And,  by  union  with  Christ,  we  partake  of  that  spirii'ital 
life  that  H".  took  possesf^ion  of  for  us  at  His  resurrection, 
and  thereb)  we  are  enabled  to  bring  forth  the  fruits  of 
it;  as  the  Scripture  showeth  by  the  similitude  of  a 
marriage  union,  Koni.  vii.  4  :  *'  We  are  married  to  Him 
that  is  raised  from  the  dead,  that  we  might  bring  forth 
fruit  unto  God.'" 


BEING  MADE  COiJFOIlMABLE  TO  IIIS  DEATH.      181 


Twenty-Fourth  Day. 


LIKE  CHKIST: 

Being  matie  couformaljle  to  S]is  ©eatfj, 

'  That  I  may  know  Him,  and  the  power  of  His  resurrection,  and 
the  lellowship  of  His  sufferings,  being  made  conformable  to  His 
death.' — Phil.  ill.  10. 

WE  know  that  the  death  of  Christ  was  the  death 
of  the  cross.  We  kuow  that  that  death  of 
the  cross  is  His  chief  glory.  Without  that  death 
Tie  would  not  be  the  Christ.  The  distinj^uishing 
characteristic,  the  one  mark  by  which  He  is 
separated  here  in  earth  and  in  heaven,  from  all 
(ither  persons,  both  in  the  Divine  Being  and  in 
(lod's  imiverse,  is  this  one:  He  is  the  Crucified  Son 
of  God.  Of  all  the  articles  of  conformity,  this 
iiuist  necessarily  be  the  chief  and  most  glorious  one 
— conformity  to  His  death. 

This  is  what  made  it  so  attractive  to  Paul. 
What  were  Chi'st's  glory  and  blessedness  must  be 
his  glory  too :  he  knows  tliat  the  most  intimate 
likeness  to  Christ  is  conformity  to  His  death. 
What  that  death  had  been  to  Christ  it  would  be  to 
him,  as  he  grew  conformed  to  it. 


182 


LIKE  CIIUIST: 


T 


Christ's  tleaili  on  tlie  cross  had  been  the  end  of 
sin.  During'  Ills  life  it  could  tempt  Him :  wlicii 
He  died  on  tlic  cross,  He  died  to  sin ;  it  could  no 
more  reach  Him.  Conformity  to  Christ's  death  is 
the  power  to  keep  us  from  the  power  of  sin.  As  I 
by  the  grace  of  the  Holy  S])irit  am  kept  in  my 
])osition  as  crucified  with  Christ,  and  live  out  my 
crucifixion  life  as  the  Crucified  One  lives  it  in  me, 
I  am  ke])t  from  sinning. 

Christ's  doAiih  on  the  cross  was  to  the  Fatlu-r 
a  sweet-smelling  sacrifice,  infinitely  pleasing.  Oh,  if 
I  want  to  dwell  in  the  favour  and  love  of  the  Father, 
and  be  His  delight,  T  am  sure  there  is  nothinijf  "ives 
such  deep  and  perfect  access  to  it  as  being  conform- 
able to  Christ's  deatli.  There  is  nothing  in  the 
universe  to  the  Father  so  l)eautifnl,  so  holy,  so 
heavenly,  so  wonderful  as  this  sight,  the  Crucified 
Jesus.  And  the  closer  I  can  get  to  Him,  and  the 
liker,  the  more  conformed  to  His  death  I  can  become, 
the  more  surely  shall  I  enter  into  the  very  bosom 
of  His  love. 

Christ's  death  on  the  cross  was  the  entrance  to 
the  power  of  the  resurrection  life,  the  unchanging 
life  of  eternity.  In  our  sjiiritual  life  we  often  have 
to  mourn  the  breaks,  and  failures,  and  intervals  that 
prove  to  us  that  there  is  still  something  wanting- 
that  prevents  the  resurrection  life  asserting  its  full 
power.  The  secret  is  here  :  there  is  still-  some  subtle 
self-life  tliat  has  not  yet  been  brought  into  the  perfect 
conformity  of  Christ's  death.  We  can  be  sure  of  it, 
nothing  is  needed  but   a   fuller  entrance  into  the 


BEING  MADE  CONFORMABLE  TO  HIS  DEATH.      183 


fellowship  of  the  cross  to  make  us  to  the  full 
partakers  of  the  resurrection  joy. 

Above  all,  it  was  Christ's  death  on  the  cross 
tliat  made  Him  the  life  of  the  world,  gave  Him  the 
]io\ver  to  bless  and  to  save  (John  xii.  24,  25).  In 
tlie  conformity  to  Christ's  death  there  is  an  end  of 
self :  we  give  up  ourselves  to  live  and  die  for 
others ;  we  are  full  of  the  faith  that  our  surrender 
of  ourselves  to  bear  the  sin  of  others  is  accepted  of 
ilie  Father.  Out  of  tin?  death  we  rise,  with  the 
power  to  love  and  to  bless. 

And  now,  what  is  this  conformity  to  the  death 
of  the  cross  that  brings  such  blessings,  and  wherein 
does  it  consist  ?  We  see  it  in  Jesus.  The  cross 
means  entire  self-abnegation.  The  cross  means  the 
death  of  self, — the  utter  surrender  of  our  own  will 
and  our  life  to  be  lost  in  the  will  of  God,  to  let 
(Jod's  will  do  with  us  what  it  pleases.  This  was 
\vliat  the  cross  meant  to  Jesus.  It  cost  Him  a 
terrible  struggle  before  He  could  give  Himself  up  to 
it.  When  He  was  sore  amazed  and  very  heavy, 
and  His  soul  exceeding  sorrowful  unto  death,  it  was 
because  His  whole  I  ing  shrank  back  from  that 
cross  and  its  curse.  Three  times  he  had  to  pray 
before  He  could  fully  say,  '  Not  my  will,  but  Thine 
be  done.'  But  He  did  say  it.  And  His  giving 
Himself  up  to  the  cross  is  to  say :  Let  me  do  any- 
tbing,  ratlier  than  that  God's  will  should  not  be 
done.  I  give  up  everything, — only  God's  will  must 
be  done. 

And  this  is  being  made  conformable  to  Christ's 


184 


LIKE  CllIMST  : 


iM 

1  , 

li' 

li 

L 

!l    iiiS    .,    -J        ^.i 

death,  that  we  so  give  away  ourselves  and  our 
whole  life,  with  its  power  of  willin«,'  juul  acting,  to 
God,  that  we  learn  to  be  and  work,  jind  do  notliiii^ 
but  what  God  reveals  to  us  as  His  will.  And  sudi 
a  life  is  called  conformity  to  the  death  of  Cliiist, 
not  only  because  it  is  somewhat  similar  to  His,  but 
because  it  is  Himself  by  His  Holy  Spirit  just 
repeating  and  acting  over  again  in  us  the  life  that 
animated  Him  in  His  crucifixion.  Were  it  not  for 
tliis,  the  very  thought  of  such  conformity  would  be 
akin  to  blasphemy. 

But  now  it  is  not  so.  In  the  power  of  tlic 
Holy  Spirit,  as  the  Spirit  of  the  Crucified  Jesus,  th: 
believer  knows  that  the  blessed  resurrection  life 
has  its  power  and  its  glory  from  its  being  a  cruci- 
fixion life,  begotten  from  the  cross.  He  yields 
himself  to  it,  he  believes  that  it  has  possession  of 
him.  Kealizing  that  he  himself  has  not  the  power 
to  think  or  do  anything  that  is  good  or  holy ;  nay, 
that  the  power  of  the  ilesh  asserts  itself  and  defiles 
everything  that  is  in  him,  he  yields  and  holds  every 
power  of  his  being  as  far  as  his  disposal  of  them 
goes  in  the  place  of  crucifixion  and  condemnation. 
And  so  he  yields  and  holds  every  power  of  his 
being,  every  faculty  of  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  at  the 
disposal  of  Jesus.  The  distrust  and  denial  of  self 
in  everything,  the  trust  of  Jesus  in  everything, 
mark  his  life.  The  very  spirit  of  the  cross  breathes 
tlirough  his  whole  being. 

And  so  far  is  it  from  being,  as  might  appear,  a 
matter  of  painful  strain  and  weary  effort  thus  to 


BEING  MADE  CONFOIIMABLE  TO  IITS  DEATH.      185 

maintain  the  crucifixion  position,  to  one  who  knows 
Christ  in  the  power  of  His  resurrection — for  Vaul 
putsthis first — and  so  is  made  conformed  to  Hisdcatli, 
it  is  rest  and  strength  and  victory.  Because  it  is 
not  the  dead  cross,  not  siilf's  self-denial,  not  a  work 
in  his  own  strength,  that  he  has  to  do  with,  but  the 
living  Jesus,  in  whom  the  crucifixion  is  an  accom- 
plished thing,  already  passed  into  the  life  of  resur- 
ri^ction.  '  I  have  been  crucified  with  Christ:  Christ 
liveth  in  me ; '  this  it  is  that  gives  the  courage  and 
tlui  desire  for  an  ever-growing,  ever  deeper  entrance 
into  most  perfect  conformity  with  His  death. 

And  how  is  this  blessed  conformity  to  be  attained  ? 
I'aul  will  give  us  the  answer.  '  What  things  were 
ijain  to  me,  these  I  counted  loss  for  Christ.  Yea, 
doubtless,  I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the  excel- 
lency of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  my  Lord, 
that  I  may  know  Him,  being  made  conformed  to 
His  death.'  The  pearl  is  of  great  price;  but  oh! 
it  is  worth  the  purcliase.  Let  us  give  up  all,  yes, 
all,  to  be  admitted  by  Jesus  to  a  place  with  Him 
on  the  cross. 

And  if  it  appear  hard  to  give  up  all,  and  then  as 
our  reward  only  have  a  whole  lifetime  on  the  cross, 
oh  let  us  listen  again  to  Paul  as  he  tells  us  what 
made  hira  so  willingly  give  up  all,  and  so  intently 
choose  the  cross.  It  was  Jesus — Christ  Jesus,  my 
Lord.  The  cross  was  the  place  where  he  C(jnld  get 
into  fullest  union  with  his  Lord.  To  know  Him, 
to  win  Him,  to  be  found  in  Him,  to  be  made  like 
to  Him, — this  was  the  burning  passion  that  made  it 


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LIKE  CHRIST  : 


easy  to  cast  away  all,  that  gave  the  cross  such 
mighty  attractive  power.  Anything  to  come  nearer 
to  Jesus.  All  for  Jesus,  was  his  motto.  It  contains 
the  twofold  answer  to  the  question,  How  to  attain 
this  conformity  to  Christ's  death  ?  Tlie  one  is, 
Cast  out  all.  The  other,  And  let  Jesus  come  in. 
All  for  Jesus. 

Yes,  it  is  only  knowing  Jesus  that  can  make  the 
conformity  'x>  His  deatli  at  all  possible.  But  let 
the  soul  win  Him,  and  be  found  in  Him,  and  know 
Him  in  the  power  of  the  resurrection,  and  it  becomes 
more  tlia'i  possible,  a  blessed  reality.  Therefore, 
beloved  lollower  of  Jesus,  look  to  Him,  look  to 
Him,  the  Crucified  One.  Gaze  on  Him  until  tliy 
soul  has  learnt  to  say  :  0  my  Lord,  I  must  be  like 
Tliee.  Gaze  until  tliou  hast  seen  how  He  Himself, 
the  Crucified  One,  in  His  ever  present  omnipotence, 
draws  nigh  to  live  in  thee  and  breathe  through  thy 
being  His  crucifixion  life.  It  was  through  the 
Eternal  Spirit  that  He  offered  Himself  unto  God ; 
that  Spirit  brings  and  im]mrts  all  that  that  death  on 
the  cross  is,  and  means,  and  effected,  to  thee  as  thy 
life.  By  that  Holy  Spirit  Jesus  Himself  maintains 
in  each  soul,  who  can  trust  Him  for  it,  the  power 
of  the  cross  as  an  abiding  death  to  sin  and  self,  and 
a  never-ceasing  sourc(;  of  resurrection  life  and  power. 
Therefore,  once  again,  look  to  Him,  the  Living 
Crucified  Jesus. 

But  remember,  above  all,  that  while  thou  hast  to 
seek  the  best  and  the  highest  with  all  thy  might, 
the  full  blessing  comes    not    as    the  fruit  of  thy 


wm 


'is;  I 


?■ 


BEING  MADE  CONFORMABLE  TO  HIS  DEATH.     187 

efforts,  but  unsought,  a  free  gift  to  whom  it  is  given 
from  above.  It  is  as  it  pleases  the  Lord  Jesus  to 
reveal  Himself,  that  we  are  macle  conformable  to 
}Iis  death.  Therefore,  seek  and  get  it  from 
Himself. 

0  Lord,  such  knowledge  is  too  wonderful  for  me ; 
it  is  high,  I  cannot  attain  to  it.  To  know  Thee  in 
tlie  |X)wer  of  Thy  resurrection,  and  to  be  made  con- 
formable  to  Tliy  death :  these  are  of  the  things  which 
are  hid  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  are  revealed 
unto  babes,  unto  those  elect  souls  alone  to  whom  it 
is  given  to  know  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom. 

0  my  Lord !  T  see  more  than  ever  what  utter 
folly  it  is  to  think  of  likeness  to  Thee  as  an  attain- 
ment through  my  effort.  I  cast  myself  on  Thy 
mercy :  look  upon  me  according  to  the  greatness 
of  Thy  loving-kindness ;  and  of  Thy  free  favour 
reveal  Thyself  to  me.  If  Thou  wilt  be  pleased  to 
come  forth  from  Thy  heavenly  dwelling-place,  and 
to  draw  nigh  to  me,  and  to  prepare  me,  and  take 
iiie  up  into  the  full  fellowship  of  Thy  life  and 
death,  O  my  Lord,  then  will  I  Jive  and  die  for 
Thee,  and  the  souls  Thou  hast  died  to  save. 

Blessed  Saviour !  I  know  Thou  art  willing.  Thy 
love  to  each  of  Thy  redeemed  ones  is  infinite.  O 
U'.'ich  me,  draw  me  to  give  up  all  for  Thee,  and  take 
eternal  possession  of  me  for  Thyself.  And  oh  !  let 
some  measure  of  conformity  to  Tliy  death,  in  its 
self-sacrifice  for  the  perishing,  be  the  mark  of  ray 
life.     Amen. 


: 


■'■■Vi'l  , 


I' 
■r 


1 


11 


188 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


Twenty-Fifth  Day. 
— g 

LIKE  CHRIST: 

ffiiblnfl  ©is  Me  for  ffLtn. 

*  Whosoever  vill  be  great  among  you,  let  him  be  your  servant ; 
and  whosoever  will  be  chief  among  you,  let  him  be  your  slave: 
euen  aa  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to 
minister,  and  to  giue  Hia  life  a  ransom  for  many.*~MAn-. 
XX.  26,  27,  28. 

'  Hereby  know  we  love,  because  He  laid  down  His  life  for  us: 
and  we  ought  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  brethren.* — 1  John 
ill.  16. 

IN  speaking  of  the  likeness  of  Christ's  death,  and 
of  being  made  conformable  to  it,  of  bearing 
the  cross  and  being  crucified  with  Him,  there  is 
one  danger  to  which  even  the  earnest  believer  is 
exposed,  and  that  is  of  seeking  after  these  blessings 
for  his  own  sake,  or,  as  he  thinks,  for  the  glory  of 
God  in  His  own  personal  perfection.  The  error 
would  be  a  fatal  one ;  he  would  never  attain  tlie 
close  conformity  to  Jesus'  death  he  hoped  for ;  for 
he  would  be  leaving  out  just  that  which  is  tlie 
essential  element  in  the  death  of  Jesus,  and  in  the 
self-sacrifice  it  inculcates ;  tliafc  characteristic  is  its 
absolute  unselfishness,  its  reference  to  others.  To 
be  made  conformable  to  Christ's  death  implies  a 
dying  to  self,  a  losing  sight  of  self  altogether  in 
giving  up  and  laying  down  our  life  for  others.     To 


GIVING  HIS  LIFE  FOR  MEN. 


189 


the  question,  how  far  we  are  to  go  in  living  for,  in 
loving,  in  serving,  in  saving  men,  the  Scriptures  do 
not  hesitate  to  give  the  unequivocal  answer:  We 
are  to  go  as  far  as  Jesus,  even  to  the  laying  down 
of  our  life.  We  are  to  consider  this  so  entirely  as 
the  object  for  which  we  are  redeemed,  and  are  left 
in  the  world,  the  one  object  for  which  we  live,  that 
the  laying  down  of  the  life  in  death  follows  as  a 
matter  of  course.  Like  Christ,  the  only  thing  that 
keeps  us  in  this  world  is  to  be  the  glory  of  God 
in  the  salvation  of  sinners.  Scripture  does  not 
licsitate  to  say  that  it  is  in  His  path  of  suffering,  as 
He  goes  to  work  out  atonement  and  redemption, 
that  we  are  to  follow  Him.* 

How  clearly  this  comes  out  in  the  words  of  the 
Master  Himself :  '  Whoever  will  be  chief  among 
you,  let  him  be  your  bond-servant,  even  as  the 
Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but 
to  minister,  and  to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for 
many.'  The  highest  in  glory  will  be  he  who  was 
lowest  in  service,  and  likest  to  the  Master  in  His 
uiving  His  life  a  ransom.  And  so  again,  a  few  days 
later,  after  having  spoken  of  His  own  death  in  the 
words :  *  The  hour  is  come  that  the  Son  of  man 
siiould  be  glorified.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
Except  a  corn  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die, 
it  abideth  alone ;  but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth 
much  fruit ; '   He  at  once  applied  to  His  disciples 


il 


III 


■ 


'  Compare  Matt.  xx.  28  with  Eph.  v.  2,  25,  26 ;  Phil.  ii.  5-8  ; 
1  Pet  ii.  21-23,  and  note  how  distinctly  it  is  in  connection  with 
His  redemptive  work  that  Christ  is  set  before  us  as  our  example : 
the  giving  His  life  away  for  others  is  its  special  significance. 


190 


UK£  CHUIST: 


ill- 1 


H 


fin 


what  He  had  said  by  repeating  what  they  had  already 
heard  spoken  to  themselves,  '  He  that  loveth  his 
life  shall  lose  it ;  and  he  that  hateth  his  life  in  this 
world  shall  keep  it  unto  life  eternal.'  The  corn 
of  wheat  dying  to  rise  again,  losing  its  life  to  regain 
it  multiplied  manifold,  is  clearly  set  forth  as  the 
emblem  not  only  of  the  Master  but  of  each  one  of 
His  followers.  Loving  life,  refusing  to  die,  means 
remaining  alone  iu  selfishness :  losing  life  to  brinu; 
forth  much  fruit  in  others  is  the  only  way  to  keep  it 
for  ourselves.  There  is  no  way  to  find  our  life  but 
as  Jesus  did,  in  giving  it  up  for  the  salvation  of 
others.  Heroin  is  the  Father,  herein  shall  we  be 
glorified.  The  deepest  underlying  thought  of 
conformity  to  Christ's  death  is,  giving  our  life  to 
God  for  saving  others.  Without  this,  the  longing 
for  conformity  to  that  death  is  in  danger  of  being 
a  refined  selfishness. 

How  remarkable  the  exhibition  we  have  in  the 
Apostle  Paul  of  this  spirit,  and  how  instructive  the 
words  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  in  him  expressed 
to  us  its  meaning!  To  the  Corinthians  he  says: 
'  Always  bearing  about  the  dying  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
that  the  life  also  of  Jesus  might  be  made  manifest 
in  our  body.  For  we  which  live  are  alway  delivered 
to  death  for  Jesus'  sake,  that  the  life  also  of  Jesus 
might  be  made  manifest  in  our  mortal  flesh.  So 
then  death  workcth  in  us,  hut  life  in  you*  *  Thougli 
He  was  crucified  through  weakness,  yet  He  livetii  by 
the  power  of  God.  For  we  also  are  weak  in  Him, 
but  we  shall  live  with  Him  by  the  poweij  of  God 
TOWARD  you' (2  Cor.  iv.   10-12,  xiii  4).     'I  now 


GIVING  H!S  LIFE  FOR  MEN. 


191 


rejoice  in  my  sufferings  for  you,  and  fill  up  that 
which  is  behind  of  the  afflictions  of  Christ  in  my 
llesh  for  His  body's  sake,  which  is  the  Church' 
(Col.  i.  24).  These  passaj^es  teach  us  how  the 
vicarious  element  of  the  suHcring  that  Christ  bore 
in  His  body  on  the  tree,  to  a  certain  extent  still 
cluiracterizes  the  sufl'crings  of  His  body  the  Church. 
V>  lievers  who  give  themselves  up  to  bear  the 
burden  of  the  sins  of  men  before  the  Lord,  who 
suffer  reproach  and  shame,  weariness  and  pain,  in 
the  effort  to  win  souls,  are  filling  up  that  which  is 
lucking  of  the  afflictions  of  Christ  in  their  flesh. 
Tiie  power  and  the  fellowship  of  His  sufl'ering  and 
death  work  in  them,  the  power  of  Ciirist's  life 
through  them  in  those  for  whom  they  labour  in 
love.  There  is  no  doubt  that  in  the  fellowship  of 
His  sufferings,  and  the  conformity  to  His  death  in 
riiil.  iii.  Paul  had  in  view  not  only  the  inner 
spiritual,  Init  also  the  external  bodily  participations 
iu  the  suffering  of  Christ. 

And  so  it  must  be  with  each  of  us  in  some 
measure.  Self-sacrifice  not  merely  for  the  sake  of 
(uir  own  sanctification,  but  for  the  salvation  of  our 
I'ellow-men,  is  what  brings  us  into  true  fellowship 
with  the  Christ  wlio  gave  Himself  for  us. 

The  practical  application  of  these  thoughts  is 
very  simple.  Let  us  first  of  all  try  and  see  the 
truth  the  Holy  Spirit  seeks  to  teach  us.  As  the 
most  essential  thing  in  likeness  to  Christ  is  likeness 
to  His  death,  so  the  most  essential  thing  in  likeness 
to  His  death  is  the  giving  up  our  life  to  win  others 
to  God.     It  is  a  death    in  wldch  all    thought  of 


k    V : 

i 

1 

. 

i 

J, -3 


192 


LIKE  CUUIST : 


1^        V 


saving  self  is  lost  in  that  of  saving  others.  Let  us 
pray  for  the  light  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  show  ns 
this,  until  we  learn  to  feel  that  we  are  in  the  world 
just  as  Christ  was,  to  give  up  self,  to  love  and 
serve,  to  live  and  die,  '  even  as  the  Son  of  man 
came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and 
to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  many.'  Oh  that  Gixl 
would  give  His  people  to  know  their  calling ;  that 
they  do  not  belong  to  themselves,  but  to  God  and 
to  their  fellow-men;  that,  even  as  Christ,  they  are 
only  to  live  to  be  a  blessing  to  the  world. 

'J'hen  let  us  believe  in  the  grace  that  is  waiting  to 
make  our  experience  of  this  truth  a  reality.  Let 
us  believe  that  God  accepts  of  our  giving  up  of  our 
whole  life  for  His  glory  in  the  saving  of  otlicis. 
Let  us  believe  that  conformity  to  the  death  of  Jesus 
in  this,  its  very  life-principle,  is  what  the  Holy 
Ghost  will  work  out  in  us.  Let  us  above  all 
believe  in  Jesus :  it  is  He  Himself  who  will  take 
up  every  soul  that  in  full  surrender  yields  itself  to 
Him,  into  the  full  fellowship  of  His  death,  of  His 
dying  in  love  to  bring  forth  much  fruit.  Yes,  let 
us  believe,  and  believing  seek  from  above,  as  the  work 
and  the  gift  of  Jesus,  likeness  to  Jesus  in  this  too. 

And  let  us  at  once  begin  and  ad  this  faith. 
Let  us  put  it  into  practice.  Looking  upon  ourselves 
now  as  wholly  given  up,  just  like  Christ,  to  live 
and  die  for  God  in  our  fellow-men,  let  us  with  new 
zeal  exercise  the  ministry  of  love  in  winning  souls. 
As  we  wait  for  Christ  to  work  out  His  likeness,  as 
we  trust  the  Holy  Spirit  to  give  His  mind  in  us 
more  perfectly,  let  us  in  faith  begin  at  once  to  act 


O'VING  ms  tm  FOR  MEJT. 


.  •  193 

to  the  work  it  has  to  do  by  thl  L  ?  "•*"  "'«  '^-r 
"ess.  and  hoIpf„|„e,,„  win,  ^ur'"*'' "'"'«'■»"«- 
all  whom  we  ,..«,;:•  ^    ■"■'"'  f  'Lines  o„t  o„ 

'»  ">e  work  of  inte^esS  f  S  I„  f  *'  «''''''  "-" 
"se  us  as  one  of  Hi,  in,,"  ,'       .      "^  "■'  '»  <'<"1  to 
«'f  those  pwyers      ilt"!      T^  '"  "'^'  «"swen„. 
-  those  Uo  have  t  ^,1'  T"  "°*'^-  ^^ •^-•° 
'"Sh  which  make  rl^Tj",^  ^'''■' '""" '^'^ 
"fe  soul-winning  o„r  oZm  "  tT""-     '^'  •"■ 
"Ives  with  the  great  IrZTf  '  ""  ''""''  <>""•- 

•^''ling  out  into  hTiuZ  TT"  ""=  ^-""i  « 
"f  it,  we  shall  find  thTL-^"'' *''=  ^«  "'°''K''t 
""«-'"  for  God  is  the  it  M  '".°"  '"''  '^  «■" 
-If.  of  I.ing  even  as  the  Son  ^^  """^  "'  "^'"^  '» 
"I'd  a  Saviour  of  the  lost  '"  ""'■  "  '«"'ant 

-"chrtT't'greirr'''^"-^''>e- 

""t  -^ally  reaeh  them  ^tj  "v    V"""' '""  '=°'"d 
/-  'o  e«;  for  them    the  I         °  """■''^^"  "  '««- 
«-^-I>0"red  out;  thon  tl e  T,       ""'  '"'-"''  "■"  "»« 
;"i.l.ty  power,    i  Zl  set  -  1T"'"  ""*''"'  '"'"'  ■" 
I  -^»  only  really  inZen  e  and   1'  -:"    ''"'  """' ' 

"[  tl'em ;  as  I  lose  myself  as  Toi  "•  """  "'■'  '"""'« 
I  I'ocome  in  His  snirft  '  „^  '"«  ""  ""•'  •''""'■. 

"^i'.g-  My spirirXe„,r7 '■',: y"^"-' « 

use  and  bless  me  '*  '""'*'  He  can 

0.0S.  Messed  God. Most  Th„„  in  ,,^,,,, 


194 


LIKE  CHBI8T : 


[(    J! 


ask  me  to  come  and  give  myself,  ray  very  life, 
wholly,  even  unto  the  death,  to  Thee  for  my  fellow- 
men  ?  If  I  have  heard  the  words  of  the  Master 
aright,  Thou  dost  indeed  seek  nothing  less. 

0  God !  wilt  Thou  indeed  have  me  ?  Wilt  Tliou 
in  very  deed  in  Christ  permit  me,  like  Him,  as  a 
member  of  His  body,  to  live  and  die  for  those 
around  me  ?  to  lay  myself,  I  say  it  in  deep  reverence, 
beside  Him  on  the  altar  of  death,  crucified  with 
Him,  and  be  a  living  sacrifice  to  Thee  for  men  ? 
Lord !  I  do  praise  Thee  for  this  most  wonderful 
grace.  And  now  I  come.  Lord  God !  and  give  my- 
self. Oh  for  the  grace  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit  to  make 
the  transaction  definite  and  real !  Lord  !  here  I  am, 
given  up  to  Tliee,  to  live  only  for  those  whom  Thou 
art  seeking  to  save. 

Blessed  Jesus !  come  Thyself,  and  breathe  Thine 
own  mihJ  and  love  within  me.  Take  possession  of 
me,  my  thoughts  to  think,  n^y  heart  to  feel,  my 
powers  to  work,  my  life  to  live,  as  given  away  to 
God  for  men.  Write  it  in  my  heart :  it  is  done,  I 
am  given  away  to  God,  He  has  taken  me.  Keep 
Thou  me  each  day  as  in  His  hands,  expecting  and 
assured  that  He  will  use  me.  On  Thy  giving  up 
Thyself  followed  the  life  in  power,  the  outbreaking 
of  the  blessing  in  fulness  and  power.  It  will  be  so 
in  Thy  people  too.     Glory  be  to  Thy  name.     Amen. 


y  life, 
fellow- 
Master 

It  Thou 
ntt,  as  a 
r  those 
verence, 
ed  with 
r  men  ? 
onderful 
jive  my- 
to  raal^e 
ere  I  am, 
,om  Thou 

,he  Thine 
ession  of 
feel,  n»y 
away  to 
s  done,  I 
Keep 
ting  and 
^iving  up 
^breaking 
all  be  so 
Amen. 


IN  HIS  lfXBKN18& 


195 


Twenty-Sixth  Day. 

0 

LIKE  CHRIST: 

*  Behold,  thy  King  cometh,  meek.*— Matt.  xxi.  6. 
'  Learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  of  heart,  and  ye  shall 
And  rest  for  your  bouIb.'— Mxrr.  xi.  29. 


I 


His 


to  the 


that 


iSnd  the 


cross 
first  of  these  two  words  written  of  our  Lord 
Jesus.  It  is  in  His  sufferings  that  the  meek- 
ness of  Jesus  is  specially  manifested.  Follower  of 
Jesus !  who  art  so  ready  to  take  Thy  place  under 
the  shadow  of  His  cross,  there  to  behold  the  Lamb 
slain  for  thy  sins,  is  it  not  a  precious  thought,  that 
there  is  one  part  of  His  work,  as  the  suffering  Lamb 
of  God,  in  wliicli  Thou  mayest  bear  His  image  and 
be  like  Him  every  day  ?  thou  canst  be  meek  and 
gentle  even  as  He  was. 

Meekness  is  the  opposite  of  all  that  is  hard  or 
bitter  or  sharp.  It  has  reference  to  the  disposi- 
tion which  animates  us  towards  our  inferiors. 
'  With  meekness,'  ministers  must  instruct  those  that 
oppose  themselves,  teach  and  bring  back  the  erring 
(Gal.  vi.  1 ;  2  Tim.  ii.  25).  It  expresses  our  dis- 
position towards  superiors :  we  must  *  receive  the 


l|iii 


!   4 


'  ?m:  1 


ri 


191 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


word  with  meekness'  (Jas.  i.  21);  if  the  wife  id 
to  be  in  subjection  to  her  husband,  it  must  be  in  a 
meek  and  quiet  spirit,  which  is  in  the  sight  of  God 
of  great  price  (1  Pet.  iil).  As  one  of  the  fruits  of 
the  Spirit,  meekness  ought  to  characterize  all  our 
daily  intercourse  with  fellow-Christians,  and  extend 
to  all  with  whom  we  have  to  do  (Eph.  iv.  2  ;  OjiI. 
V.  22  ;  Col.  iii.  12  ;  Tit.  iii.  2).  It  is  mentioned 
in  Scripture  along  with  humility,  because  that  is 
the  inward  disposition  concerning  oneself,  out  of 
which  meekness  towards  others  springs. 

There  is  perhaps  none  of  the  lovely  virtues  whicli 
adorn  the  image  of  God's  Son,  which  is  more  seldom 
seen  in  those  who  ought  to  be  examples.  There 
are  many  servants  of  Jesus,  in  whom  much  love  Ut 
souls,  much  service  for  the  salvation  of  others,  (ind 
much  zeal  for  God's  will,  are  visible,  and  yet  who 
continually  come  short  in  this.  How  often,  when 
offence  comes  unexpectedly,  whether  at  home  or 
abroad,  they  are  carried  away  by  temper  and  anger, 
and  have  to  confess  that  they  have  lost  the  perfect 
rest  of  soul  in  God  !  There  is  no  virtue,  perhaps,  for 
which  some  have  prayed  more  earnestly :  they  feel 
they  would  give  anything,  if  in  their  intercourse 
with  partner,  or  children,  or  servants,  in  company 
or  in  business,  they  could  always  keep  their  temper 
perfectly,  and  exhibit  the  meekness  and  gentleness 
of  Christ.  Unspeakable  is  the  grief  and  disappoint- 
ment experienced  by  those  who  have  learnt  to  long 
for  it,  and  yet  have  not  discovered  where  the  secret 
of  meekness  lies. 


W  "IS  MEBKNE8S.  ,„. 

The   self. command   needed    fnr   n.- 

t^''»l'«mn>ent,  a„d  i,  ^"  ,  '«'  '"  "  ""'•"'i"  Mtun.I 
f-  then,  eve;  to  e^^^  r  7  '"  •"'"'  '=""'"<"«' 
I'-r  find  all  aoita  of'^«  L  V"?  """"'"'^«» 
't   «"    ill :  though    the  ,r  ■"  *'"  "»'  ""•''"' 

«Imr,,  t.,ere  is  sWl  I„ve    HI'"-  "^  ""'   '«'»?«'  "» 
""t    be    good    to    be    f  7  ''*'"■'«=  ''    *0"U 

■^^-.thened  by  it""  r.  f^*;  ""  "<"""  ^ 
conformity  to  the  i,oIv  .,  ""  "'"  '"  """ro 
fiod  is  robbed  o  ,  1'  '""''  °'  ''-  ^""'l'  of 
■''ro„«th.:..d  n  L  Ln  /:r' r.,^"'  ""^  "-  '  ■'« 
«"  "ot  vo,y  m  eh  d  i  ";  f ''™"'""^  "^  "fter 
''««.>se,  though  tbev  df  f"""  °^'"^^  P'^"!''*. 
■^"-v.  that  OUrLtfJl  'tlle'T    T'  ""''  "^  »«' 

-...ses  unepc.„ica,,,eh„l  tcS-r^"'  M''  '"" 
Its  unfaithfu/uess  in  «n„      ^""'■'s  Church,  through 

^■■'Ivation :  the  le,Lu/      ''"'""""  *"  ""'^^''''g  »f 

Thisgraceiso?^     ';,"""'': -"•''■'^^^^^^ 
I"    the   Old   TesLC    '^^b'"  '"  ""'  ^«'"  "'  ««d. 

f  tl'ered  „p  i„t„  ^i,  ^^^  ^^'f'      "-e     by    Jesus 

'"•  they  shall  inherit  t"' e««h   te^; ""  """"'' 
'"»'•  9:  Prov   iii   -KA    V"™    (see  Ps.  xxv.  9, 

I'estament    Z  2'       '     ''■  "'  =*>•     ^»  "'c  New 
His  meeter  t^aT^r t"  "■"  '"''  ""''   "   ^ 

--—r^treBeirslf'i^i-: 


'fi' 


^*i. 

1^;. 


i 


ffli*! 


it 


Ml 

t  n  si 


I 


tl 


H> 


198 


LIKE  CIlllIST : 


could  surely   offer   no  higher    inducement  to  His 
children,  to  seek  it  above  all  things. 

For  every  one  who  longs  to  possess  this  spirit, 
Christ's  word  is  full  of  comfort  and  encouragement : 
'  Learn  of  me  that  I  am  meek.'  And  what  will  it 
profit  us  to  learn  that  He  is  meek  ?  Will  not  just 
the  experience  of  His  meekness  make  the  discovery 
of  our  want  of  it  all  the  more  painful  ?  What  we 
ask,  Lord,  is  that  Thou  shouldest  teach  us  how  we 
may  be  meek.     The  answer  is  again  :  '  Learn  of  mc, 

that  I  AM  MEEK.' 

We  are  in  danger  of  seeking  meekness  and  the 
other  graces  of  our  Lord  Jesus  as  gifts  of  which  we 
must  be  conscious,  before  we  practise  them.  This 
is  not  the  path  of  faith.  *  Moses  knew  not  that  his 
face  shone,'  he  had  only  seen  the  glory  of  God, 
The  soul  that  seeks  to  be  meek,  must  learn  that 
Jesus  is  meek.  We  must  take  time  to  gaze  on  His 
meekness,  until  the  heart  has  received  the  full 
impression  :  He  only  is  meek  :  with  Him  alone  can 
meekness  be  found.  When  we  begin  to  realize  this, 
we  next  fix  our  hearts  upon  the  truth :  This  meek 
One  is  Jesus  the  Saviour.  All  He  is,  all  He  has,  is 
for  His  redeemed  ones  ;  His  meekness  is  to  be  com- 
municated to  us.  But  He  does  not  impart  it,  by 
giving,  as  it  were  from  Himself,  something  of  it 
away  to  us.  No !  we  must  learn  that  He  alone 
is  meek,  and  that  only  when  He  enters  and 
takes  possession  of  heart  and  life.  He  brings  His 
meekness  with  Him.  It  is  with  the  meekness  of 
Jesus  that  we  can  be  meek. 


II 


IN<»HI3  MEEKNESS. 


199 


We  know  how  little  He  succeeded  in  innlxing  His 
disciples  meek  and  lowly  while  on  earth.  It  was 
because  He  had  not  yet  obtained  the  new  life,  and 
could  not  yet  bestow,  througli  His  resurrection,  the 
Holy  Spirit.  But  now  He  can  do  it.  He  has  been 
exalted  to  the  power  of  God  from  thence  to  reign 
in  our  hearts,  to  conquer  every  enemy,  and  continue 
in  us  His  own  holy  life.  Jesus  was  our  visible 
Example  on  earth,  that  we  might  see  in  Him  what 
like  the  hidden  life  is  that  He  would  give  us  from 
heaven,  that  He  Himself  would  be  within  us. 

*  Learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  of  heart : ' 
without  ceasing  the  word  sounds  in  our  ears  as  our 
Lord's  answer  to  all  tlie  sad  complaints  of  His 
redeemed  ones,  as  to  the  difticulty  of  restraining 
temper.  0  my  brother !  why  is  Jesus,  your  Jesus, 
your  life,  and  your  strength,  why  is  He  the  meek 
and  lowly  One,  if  it  be  not  to  impart  to  you,  to 
whom  He  so  wliolly  belongs,  His  own  meekness  ? 

Therefore,  only  believe  !  Believe  that  Jesus  is  able 
to  fill  your  heart  with  His  own  spirit  of  meekness. 
Believe  that  Jesus  Himself  will,  through  His  own 
Spirit,  accomplish  in  you  the  work  that  you  have 
in  vain  endeavoured  to  do.  '  Behold  !  thy  Kino 
COMETH  TO  THEK,  MEEK.'  Welcome  Him  to  dwell 
in  your  heart.  Expect  Him  to  reveal  Himself  to 
you.  Everything  depends  on  this.  Learn  of  Him 
that  He  is  meek  and  lowly  of  heart,  and  you  shall 
lind  rest  to  your  soul. 


Precious  Saviour,  grant  me  now,  under  the  over- 


pHi 


200 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


shadowing  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit,  to  draw  near  unto 
Thee,  and  to  appropriate  Thy  heavenly  meekness 
as  my  life.  Lord,  Thou  hast  not  shown  me  Thy 
meekness  as  a  Moses  who  demands  but  does  not  give. 
Thou  art  Jesus  who  savest  from  all  sin,  giving  in 
its  stead  Thy  heavenly  holiness.  Lord,  I  claim  Thy 
meekness  as  a  part  of  the  salvation  that  Thou  hast 
given  me.  I  cannot  do  without  it.  How  can  I 
glorify  Thee  if  I  do  not  possess  it  ?  liOrd,  I  will 
learn  from  Thee  that  Thou  art  meek.  Blessed  Lord, 
teach  me.  And  teach  me  that  Thou  art  always 
with  me,  always  in  me  as  my  life.  Abiding  in 
Thee,  with  Thee  abiding  in  me,  I  have  Thee  the 
meek  One  to  help  me  and  make  me  like  Thyself. 

O  holy  meekness !  Thou  art  not  come  down  to 
earth  only  for  a  short  visit,  then  to  disappear  again 
in  the  heavens.  Thou  art  come  to  seek  a  home. 
I  offer  Thee  my  heart ;  come  and  dwell  in  it. 

Thou  blessed  Lamb  of  God,  my  Saviour  and 
Helper,  I  count  on  Thee.  Thou  wilt  make  Thy 
meekness  to  dwell  in  me.  Through  Thy  indwelling 
Thou  dost  conform  me  to  Thy  image.  0  come,  and 
as  an  act  of  Thy  rich  free  grace  even  now,  as  I 
wait  on  Thee,  reveal  Thyself  as  my  King,  meek, 
and  coming  in  to  take  possession  of  me  for  Thyself. 


'  Precious,  gentle,  holy  Jesns, 

Blessed  Bridegroom  of  my  heart, 
In  Thy  secret  inner  chamber. 
Thou  wilt  show  me  what  Thou  art. 


Amen.' 


^IDIKO  M  THK  LOVE  OJ  GOD. 


201 


I  , 


TWENTy-SEVENTH    DaY. 

LIKE  CHEIST: 

mans  in  tie  Ubt  of  ffi„i, 

»  Him,  the  principal  part  ;, T  ^  "'^  ^^''^'''ng 
•'^veiling  and  being  rooS  '  T  ^^^'^S '■"»  and 
wufi  which  He  loves  T     ,    """  ^""derful  love 

:  r-e  seeketh  no7S  In^'it"?  "'■""^«"  'o  - 
"self  to  live  and  be  «t  1'  ".r"'''^'  goes  out  of 
"er  opens  itself  and     t.^?!""'',  "'«  ''<^'»^«';  it 

-eive  and  hold  fast  the  oytrfiuV:"'  ^"'  ^ 
i'^ve  longs  to  possess  us  IV  „  t  '"'•'  ^''"^''^ 
«■".  intensely  personal  1  r  ,  ^•'^'"^  '»  Christ  is 
-Ives  in  th^  fE  V  ttr  ■:''^.  '-"«  »«- 
°w  life  in  the  experien,^  nf  ,  ""f  ^"^«-  ""^ing 
"»7  nowhe.  at  h^ett  in  S„  7"  "^  "'■"• 

--^e'^^rid^tf  '7  ---,1  its 


202 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


is  jusb  the  same  as  the  Father's  love  to  Him  in 
which  He  abides.  Surely,  if  anything  were  needed 
to  make  the  abiding  in  His  love  more  wonderful 
and  attractive,  this  ought  to  do  so.  'Even  as  tlie 
Father  loved  me,  so  have  I  loved  you :  abide  in  niy 
love.'  Our  life  may  be  Christlike,  unspeakably 
blessed  in  the  consciousness  of  an  Infinite  Love 
embracing  and  deligliting  in  us. 

We  know  how  this  was  the  secret  of  Christ's 
wonderful  life,  and  His  strength  in  prospect  of 
death.  At  His  baptism  the  voice  was  heard,  tlie 
Divine  message  which  the  Spirit  brought  and  un- 
ceasingly maintained  in  living  power,  '  This  is  my 
Bei.oved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.'  Mom 
than  once  we  read :  '  The  Fatlier  loveth  the  Son  * 
(John  iii.  35,  v.  20).  Christ  speaks  of  it  as  His 
highest  blessedness :  *  That  the  world  niny  know 
that  Thou  hast  loved  tliem,  even  as  Thoa  Itad 
loved  me  ;  Thou  lovedst  we  before  the  foundation  (.»f 
the  world  ; '  '  That  the  love  wherewith  Thou  lovedst 
me  may  be  in  them.'  Just  as  we  day  by  day 
walk  and  live  in  the  light  of  the  sun  shinini:; 
around  us,  so  Jesus  just  lived  in  the  light  of  the 
glory  of  the  Father's  love  shining  on  Him  all  the 
day.  It  was  as  thk  Bei.oved  of  God  that  He  was 
able  to  do  God's  will,  and  finish  His  work.  He 
dwelt  in  the  love  of  the  Father. 

And  just  so  we  are  the  beloved  of  Jesus. 
Even  as  the  Father  loved  Him,  He  loves  us.  And 
what  we  need  is  just  to  take  time,  and,  shutting 
our  eyes  to  all  around  us,  to  worship  and  to  wait 


ABIDING  IN  THB  LOVE  OF  GOD. 


203 

Christian  would  Z  tell  T"'^'!'^'^-  ^^-  «  the 
thought  mi  l.i.i  .  i'  ^Xl"l  *o  '«t  the  wondrous 
•'es"3  loves  me\.LT^'       .    ""^  ""  ^"^  ^ont,. 

-ho  is  lo;ed  Z  oLktl  '""'"  «'"'''  """  ""« 
walked!  '   ""'•  "'"St   walk  as  He 

"'  ^'I'ich  He  abode  hut  Z  ""^  '"  ''■'^«  ">at 
"■e  same  as  H,s  As  S„  "'V-  ""'  "■^'"'"S  '» 
1-athers  love  wlen  H.  "''  """'  "'  'he 

-as  onl,  thro,3.  obSent'V"'"  '^  ""'" '  ^ut  i 

»'l  obedience  that  e„st  Him  nlh  "''  "'"'  "'is     • 

'"  giving  up  His  own  Sand   ""'  ""'  '"' "  '^"^ 
I'r  what  He  suffered  in  I  „  "'"S  obedience 

"^■^'h,  even  the  d  «  "  M '"'"°  '""^'"''"'  ""'"  *e 
'he  Father's  co„„„ar,d  "  ,/  '  T''  """  ^^^  '^T't 
"J'herefore  doth  my  I  M  f""  "^"''^  "'  '''•'• '"''^ 
>'°wn    my    life      r]  •"■  '"™  ""'•  *«««*''  I  lav 

-edo/Jlth^i^Tt^-^r  ^- 

'ne  alone-  for  r ^n  ^^^^^''  ^'''^^h  not  Jeft 

»■"•■     An{  hfwir'S  "'"^^  """."«  that  please 

«nd  proved  how  su^th    pZorol^i^  '^■^•™'"^' 
"s  "P  into  the  presenPM  .^  ,  "hedience  takes 

He  in-vites  us  T X  'C«  T^  «W  "^  God, 

^'"^'      -ir  ye  keep  uiy 


fl! 


M 


-:M 


j;'ii 


1 

ri 

.y 

1 

204 


LIKE  CHKIST : 


commandments,  ye  shall  abide  in  my  love,  even  as 
I  kept  my  Father's  commandments,  and  abide  in 
His  love.* 

Christlike  obedienco  is  the  way  to  a  Christlike 
enjoyment  of  Love  Divine.  How  it  secures  our 
boldness  of  access  into  God's  presence!  'Let  us 
love  in  deed  and  in  truth,  liereby  shall  we  assure 
our  hearts  before  Him.'  *  Beloved !  if  our  heart 
condemn  us  not,  then  have  we  confidence  towards 
God;  and  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  receive  of  Him, 
hecaiise  we  keep  His  commandments,  and  do  those 
things  that  are  pleasing  in  His  sight.'  How  it 
gives  us  boldness  before  men,  and  lifts  us  above 
their  approval  or  contempt,  because  we  move  at 
God's  bidding,  and  feel  that  we  have  but  to  obey 
orders !  And  what  boldness  too  in  the  face  of 
difficulty  or  danger ! — we  are  doing  God's  will,  and 
dare  leave  to  Him  all  responsibility  as  to  failure 
or  success^  The  heart  filled  with  the  thought  of 
direct  and  entire  obedience  to  God  alone,  rises 
above  the  world  into  the  will  of  God,  into  the 
place  where  God's  love  rests  on  him :  like  Christ,  he 
has  his  abode  in  the  love  of  God. 

Let  us  seek  to  learn  from  Christ  what  it  means 
to  have  this  spirit  of  obedience  ruling  our  life.  It 
implies  the  spirit  of  dependence ;  the  confession 
that  we  have  neither  the  right  nor  the  desire  in 
anything  to  do  our  own  will.  It  involves  teach- 
ableness of  spirit.  Conscious  of  the  blinding 
influence  of  tradition,  and  prejudice,  and  habit, 
it  takes  its  law  not  from  men  but  from  Gocf  Him- 


ABIDING  Of  THE  LOVI  OF  GOD. 


205 


self.  Conscious  of  how  little  the  most  careful 
study  of  the  Word  can  reveal  God's  will  in  its 
spiritual  power,  it  seeks  to  be  led,  and  for  this  end 
to  be  entirely  under  the  rule  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
It  knows  that  its  views  of  truth  and  duty  are  very 
partial  and  deficient,  and  counts  on  being  led  by  God 
Himself  to  deeper  insight  and  higher  attainment. 

It  has  marked  God's  word, '  If  thou  wilt  diligently 
hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  wilt 
do  that  which  is  right  in  His  sight,'  and  understood 
tlmt  it  is  only  when  the  commands  do  not  come 
from  conscience,  or  memory,  or  the  book,  but  from 
the  living  voice  of  the  Lord  heard  speaking  through 
the  Spirit,  that  the  obedience  will  be  possible  and 
acceptable.  It  sees  that  it  is  only  as  a  following 
out  of  the  Father's  personal  directions,  and  as  a 
service  rendered  to  Himself,  that  obedience  has  its 
full  value  and  brings  its  full  blessing.  Its  great 
care  is  to  live  on  the  altar,  given  up  to  God ;  to 
keep  eye  and  ear  open  to  God  for  every  indication 
of  His  blessed  will.  It  is  not  content  with  doing 
right  for  its  own  sake :  it  brings  everything  in 
personal  relation  to  God  Himself,  doing  it  as  unto 
the  Lord.  It  wants  every  hour  and  every  step  in 
Ufe  to  be  a  fellowship  with  God.  It  longs  in  little 
things  and  daily  life  to  be  consciously  obeying  the 
Father,  because  this  is  the  only  way  to  be  prepared 
for  higher  work.  Its  one  desire  is  the  glory  of 
God  in  the  triumph  of  His  will:  its  one  means 
for  obtaining  that  desire,  with  all  its  heart  and 
strength  to  be  working  out  that  will  each  moment 


:j!  I 


206 


LIKE  chbist: 


1f 


of  the  day.  And  its  one  but  sufficient  reward  is 
this,  it  knows  that  through  the  will  of  God  lies  the 
road,  opened  up  by  Christ  Himself,  deeper  into  the 
love  of  God :  *  If  ye  keep  my  commandments,  ye 
shall  abide  in  my  love.* 

Oh  this  blessed  Christlike  obedience,  leading  to  a 
Christlike  abiding  in  the  Divine  Love !  To  attain 
it  we  must  just  study  Christ  more.  He  emptied 
Himself,  and  humbled  Himself,  and  became  obedient. 
May  He  empty  us  and  humble  us  too !  He  learned 
obedience  in  the  school  of  God,  and  being  made 
perfect,  became  the  author  of  eternal  salvation  to 
all  that  obey  Him.  We  must  yield  ourselves  to  be 
taught  obedience  by  Him !  We  just  need  to  listen 
to  what  He  has  told  us  how  He  did  nothing  of  Him- 
self, l)ut  only  what  He  saw  and  heard  from  the  Father; 
how  entire  dependence  and  continual  waiting  on  the 
Fathei  was  the  root  of  implicit  obedience,  and  this 
again  the  secret  of  ever-growing  knowledge  of  the 
Father's  deeper  secrets.  (John  v.  19,  20.  See 
Fifteenth  Day.)  God's  love  and  man's  obedience 
there  are  as  the  lock  and  key  fitting  into  each  other. 
It  is  God's  grace  that  has  fitted  the  key  to  the  lock, 
it  is  man  who  uses  the  key  to  unlock  the  treasures 
of  love. 

In  the  light  of  Christ's  example  and  words,  what 
new  meaning  comes  to  God's  words  spoken  to  His 
people  from  of  old  !  '  In  blessing  I  will  bless  thee, 
and  in  multiplying  I  will  multiply  thee,  because 
thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice.'  *  If  ye  will  indeed 
obey  my  voice,  ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto 


ABIDIKO  m  THB  WVE  OF  GOR 


.    .  •  207 

hy  God,  to  observe  to  do  all  «.!/'"'''  "'  *«  I'""' 
We  and  obedience  indl,  bl'  '"?""''""'»«»'«•' 
f-'^tors  in  the  wonderfunLe^n        '^  *""  g^"' 

I'eware  that  we  be  not  ed  !  '^''-  ^"'^  '^'  -8 
'^'."'  them,  to  seekZ  a  „ l""  '^"*' '"  '='"'"«<="on 
^".'^d,  or   a  state  1 'be     :::.^,-P«™-e  to  be 

«n.ple  downright  doing  oToTr^  T'^'  ^'"''«  the 
P'^-'t  is  overlooked,  ul  n,^ i  "/"  '"  '^^ich  they 
7^d  which    God   loves    to  '"','''  """^  "««  'W^ 

*ey    is    better    thj.v^''^  "*"""«'<=«•     'To 
■>«thing   without,         „ot,  r   T  ^ '    "''"""'«-   i« 
-«'  the  „.„ek  and  lo  Jv "   II'    '''   '""'*^''««-     ^t 
"  servant  and  a  son  Z'^^ITV'  ''''"''■  «»  <>' 
;   «woet-s„,eIling    sa;  „r        '!    f ''^  !?"'''=''  ^'"^^ 
«''ed,eace,  first  hearkenL         . ,  ""'''<^'  "'"Idhko 
"«•«.  and  then  do,n7thaf  T/  '°  "'«  ^«««-'- 

If^.  that  will  bringlsS  w?    '  '\"«'"  '■»  ^^« 
H„„.  g  "»  the  witness  that  we  please 


His  Love.  ''•^'"^  '^esus,  and  abiding  in 


,1  I 


208 


LIKE  CHRIST : 


0  my  God !  what  shall  I  say  to  the  wonderful 
interchange  between  the  life  of  heaven  and  the  life 
of  earth  Thou  hast  set  before  me  ?  Thy  Son,  our 
blessed  Lord,  has  shown  and  proved  to  us  how  it  is 
possible  on  this  earth  of  ours,  and  how  unspeakably 
blessed,  for  a  man  to  live  with  the  love  of  God 
always  surrounding  him,  by  just  yielding  himself  to 
obey  Thy  voice  and  will.  And  because  He  is  ours, 
our  Head  and  our  Life,  we  know  that  we  can  indeed 
in  our  measure  live  and  walk  as  we  see  Him  do ; 
our  souls  every  moment  abiding  and  rejoicing  in 
Thy  Divine  Love,  because  Thou  acceptest  our  feeble 
keeping  of  Thy  commandments  for  His  sake.  0  my 
God,  it  is  indeed  too  wonderful,  that  we  are  called 
to  this  Christlike  dwelling  in  love  through  the 
Christlike  obedience  Thy  Spirit  works ! 

Blessed  Jesus  !  how  can  I  praise  Thee  for  coming 
and  bringing  such  a  life  on  earth  and  making  me  .i 
sharer  in  it.  0  my  Lord  !  1  can  only  yield  myself 
afresh  to  Thee  to  keep  Thy  commandments,  as  Tliuu 
didst  keep  the  Father's.  Lord !  only  impart  to  me 
the  secret  of  Thine  own  blessed  obedience ;  the  open 
ear,  the  watchful  eye,  the  meek  and  lowly  heart; 
the  childlike  giving  up  of  all  as  the  beloved  Son 
to  the  beloved  Father.  Saviour !  fill  my  heart  with 
Thy  love ;  in  the  faith  and  experience  of  that  love  I 
will  do  it  too.  Yes,  Lord,  this  only  be  my  life : 
keeping  Thy  commandments,  and  abiding  in  Thy 
love.     Amen. 


lED  BV  THE  Sflmr. 


209 


M 


I-IKE  CHEIST: 
^f"  iU  ^t  Spirit. 

«P«3n..     The  descent  oTthe  Hn?  'V'"'  '^"^  His 
";e  baptism  of  the  Soirit   !.•    °'^.  ^P'"' »-  Him. 
»:"•  «ater,  was  a  real  tranf '*"    '"   "■"  baptism 
»'th  the  Spirit.     HettZT''""'  ^"  ""'  ^''^-l 
»l  the  Hol/spirit,  and  ,™t    T  ''''  '°"'^'>  f"" 
"'»»  ever  the  Wd  „.  ofX^  "">«  Manifestly 

"<:«  He  wrestled  a^d  eltutr.  '  ^^  '''^  ^''^'«^- 
^-ine  power,  but  as  a  man  wh'  ""'  '»  ^i^  own 
""d  led   by  the  Holy  LIT    T    T'  ^'^^"gthened 


iijl 


^i 


I'lij 
mm 

I.      f 

:( 
I 


/  ?!' 


I     .<! 


210 


LIKE  CIIKIST  : 


They  are  called  to  live  like  Him.  Tliis  is  not 
demanded  from  them  without  their  havinjiij  the  same 
power.  This  power  is  the  Holy  Spirit  dwellinj^  in 
us,  whom  we  have  of  God.  Even  as  Jesus  was  tilled 
with  the  Spirit  and  then  led  hy  the  Spirit,  so  must 
we  be  also  filled  with  the  Spirit  and  be  led  by  tlic 
Spirit. 

More  than  once,  in  our  meditations  on  tlic 
different  traits  of  Christ's  character,  it  has  seemed  to 
us  almost  impossible  to  be  like  Him.  We  have 
lived  so  little  for  it :  we  feel  so  little  al>le  to  livo 
thus.  Let  us  take  courage  in  tlie  thouj^dit  :  .lusiis 
Himself  could  only  live  thus  through  the  Spiiil. 
It  was  after  He  was  filled  with  the  Spirit  that  lie 
was  led  forth  by  that  Spirit  to  the  place  of  conflict 
and  of  victory.  And  this  blessing  is  ours  as  surclv 
as  it  was  His  :  we  may  be  filled  with  the  Spirit ; 
we  may  be  led  by  the  Spirit.  Jesus,  who  wa'^ 
Himself  baptized  with  the  Spirit,  to  set  us  an 
example  how  to  live,  has  ascended  into  heaven  to 
baptize  us  into  the  likeness  with  Himself.  He  vvlio 
would  live  like  Jesus  must  begin  here :  He  must  be 
baptized  with  the  Spirit.  What  CJod  demands  from 
His  cliildren  He  first  gives.  He  demands  entire 
likeness  to  Christ  because  He  will  give  us,  as  He 
did  Jesus,  the  fulness  of  the  Spirit.  We  must  be 
filled  with  the  Spirit. 

We  have  here  the  reason  why  the  teaching  of 
the  imitation  and  likeness  to  Clnist  has  so  little 
prominence  in  the  Church  of  Christ.  Men  sought 
it   in  their  own   strength,  with   the   help  of  some 


""  BY  rm:  swwT.  21, 

°f.  "s.  because  tl,e^  l.n  I   ml  L       "'"  "^^  "'^P'-^^d 

'^e  Pnvilese  of  „  f„„  j^,?;,^/'  ««3  tJu.„sl,t  t„  y^ 
of^J'cry    ohm    of   6Wr     ''""'"''"'"'"' duty 

"  ly  then  will  ]i),e„e,,  t„  ^,,  .    "■  "'«"•  ri^l.t  place, 

'«''««:    to  be   like  Christ    ''""' ''''"""^- 
«»««  Spirit,  and  to  be  W    h    „"""'  '"'  '«'  ^Y  the 
"•«  ""-t  be  filled  ^-t  r  the  ■  S      ^^'^  "^  ""  -" 
f^^^n  the  fulnes.,  of  the  L"" .-f ^'."'•,    N"""»S  IcW 

•■*  "»  '•^.  the  surrender  of    .fthf        '■""  ^^^  ''V'"<^^ 
gives.  •"  '-"til  to  receive  what  He 

The   snrreader   of    fni.i,       ,.rL 
;I'etI,er  we  are  indeed  '  ^'"'    ""    "'^^    i« 

-t.^teps,  and  f„,  tl  fe  t^  be f  r  '^  '"""'  '"  "'•»' 
?»  not  let  there  be  any  hcs^-f  7'""'  "'  "'"  «Pirit. 
"••«t,  look  buck  on  alUhe    b      "  '^  '"  <»"  ""^^ver. 

'"---^--pirit,in;,iT;:~^^^^^^^^^^ 


,;..,;.       I 


212 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


is  set  forth  :  Even  as  I,  ye  also.  Eemember  that 
it  was  of  tliis  likeness  to  Himself  in  everything  He 
said  to  the  Father :  '  The  glory  which  Thou  gavest 
me  have  I  given  them.'  Think  how  the  love  of 
Christ  and  the  true  desire  to  please  Him,  how  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  needs  of  the  world,  plead»witli 
us  not  through  our  sloth  to  despise  this  heavenly 
birthright  of  being  Christlike.  Acknowledge  the 
sacred  right  of  ownership  Christ  has  in  you,  His 
blood-bought  ones :  and  let  nothing  prevent  your 
answering :  *  Yes,  dear  Lord,  as  far  as  is  allowed  to 
a  child  of  dust,  1  will  be  like  Thee.  I  am  entirely 
Thine ;  I  must,  I  will,  in  all  things  bear  Thy  image. 
It  is  for  this  I  ask  to  be  filled  with  the  Spirit.' 

The  surrender  of  faith :  only  this ;  but  nothing 
less  than  this  He  demands.  Let  us  give  what  He 
asks.  If  we  yield  ourselves  to  be  like  Him  in  all 
things,  let  it  be  in  the  quiet  trust  that  He  accepts, 
and  at  once  begins  in  secret  to  make  the  Spirit 
work  more  mightily  in  us.  Let  us  believe  it 
although  we  do  not  at  once  experience  it.  To  be 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  must  wait  on  our 
Lord  ill  faith.  We  can  depend  upon  it  that  His 
love  desires  to  give  us  more  than  we  know.  Let 
our  surrender  be  made  in  this  assurance. 

And  let  this  surrender  of  faith  be  entire.  Tlie 
fundamental  law  of  following  Christ  is  this :  '  He 
who  loses  his  life  shall  find  it.'  The  Holy  Spirit 
comes  to  take  away  the  old  life,  and  to  give  in  its 
place  the  life  of  Christ  in  you.  Kenounce  the  old 
life  of  self-working  and  sell-watching,  and  believe 


1! 

... 

flH 

riiH 

. 

•  i'^flHI 

! 

■  '  ^MBfSt 

jis^BB 

i 

m 

II 

m 

LED  BY  THE  SPIRIT. 


213 


--T^otCLiTj  ~  >•-  We  eve., 
SP'"t  Will  .enow  your  We    7"°^"^   '"«    Hol^ 
Holy  Spirit  in  yo/ZJt  nlV\  """^  »'  '^e 
t'ons:  yon  are  i„  the  Sn.vT        ^'''''  "'  «'«"•"?- 
Spirit  is  in  yo„  as  your  V',  ^'°'''  ''""^  «''=  *« 
Spirit  God  JoH-//Z    't  ?'"'••  ""-""gh  the 
according  to  His  ™„7  „  !  '"  '"  "^"  ^"'^   '^   -J" 
'"-ve  a  deep  reverence  J  ?"■"•  ,  "''■   <^''"«««n. 
who  dwells  within  ylpir  """^  "'  *••«  «I'»'' 
which  works  in  yc.Zu  Ji   he's"  .''""  ""^-■ 
you  to  Christ's  life  an,l  J."  ^""''  '"^  <=ouform 

«e   occupied   witi    J   ' ,  "'Z,  T"'?'  '^  "i"'"-"- 
which  is  at  the  same  1 1  v  "   '"'^'   '''»'   hfe 

«tr»n«th.  in  the  fulTas  r^rT,  """"P'"*  "°<3  ^our 
•^"ows  in  deep  ,uie!  ^mZ^'T''  f  "'^  ^P'"' 
eating  JesHs  to  >•„„      p"       ,    """^"^  of  comnmni- 

of  the  Spirit  is  yo^irst   r  ""'"  ""  '"'"'^'^ 

)'0"  accept  and  hoWin  f.  H     '  "  ""'  «"'  which 
"ot  such  feeling  aTy^"       1]  '''"  ^''«»  'here  is 
you   count   to   ^o^kT;::'';"'''''"'^- which 
fcehng    may    |,„    ,„„  ,     •'""   ""  you    need.     The 
tremMi„g,id  1,*-'™-^    and   f«-   and   nnd 

"ving  in^dcnons'ulti!"  ofu     f '  "•"  """''"-  »"'' 
1  Cor.  ii.  3   4)      T  ,""*  Sp'rit  and  of  power 

"f  the  SpirU  if  your  "nd"  t  f /''"'  ''''  "'"  f"'"- 
"PPoiuted  if,  loiC'u.l         ^'"'  *'"  '"^^'  l-e  dis- 
omy in  the  'blestd"  t^t  ttt";/""  "'''"'^'^  ^-^ 
spiritual  life  is  ;,,  t„„  i       ,  ""^  "'"^^  of   your 

Comforter.     Th     "  th  Th  '. "  •  ""  ^^°'>-  «P'"'  'h" 

in  you,  the  liytg'  ^1 '/to  7"  '''"""''  "'  •^-- 
b  "Kcness  to  Jesus  wUI  be  seen  on 


I 


i 

s.': 

1:  n 

1 

214 


LIKE  CIllllST ; 


I     if 


i\ 

M 

I 


I  V^i 


i  ;■ 


H> 


IE 

i 


you ;  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesns  dwelling 
within,  the  likeness  of  the  life  of  Christ  Jesus  will 
shine  around. 

And  if  it  do  not  appear  that  in  thus  believing 
and  ol)eying  your  desires  are  fulfilled,  remember  that 
it  is  in  the  fellowship  with  the  members  of  Ch»i:]t's 
body,  and  in  the  full  surrender  to  Christ's  service 
in  the  world,  that  the  full  power  of  the  Spirit  is 
made  manifest.  It  was  when  Jesus  gave  Himself 
to  enter  into  full  leHowsliip  with  men  around  Him, 
and  like  them  to  be  ba[>lized  with  water,  that  He 
was  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  it  was 
when  He  liad  given  Himself  in  His  second  baptism 
of  suffering,  a  sacrilice  for  us,  that  He  received  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  give  to  us.  Seek  fellowship  witli 
God's  children,  wlio  will  with  thee  plead  and  believe 
for  the  baptism  of  the  S]»irit :  the  disciples  received 
the  Spirit  not  singly,  l)ut  wlien  tliey  were  with  one 
accord  in  one  place.  Band  thyself  with  God's 
children  around  thee  to  work  for  souls ;  the  Spirit 
is  tlie  power  from  on  high  to  fit  for  that  work :  the 
promise  will  be  fulfilled  to  tlie  believing,  willing 
servants,  who  want  Him  not  for  their  enjoyment, 
but  for  that  work.  Christ  was  filled  with  the 
Spirit  tliat  He  miglit  be  fitted  to  work  and  live 
and  die  for  us.  (Jive  tliyself  to  such  a  Christliko 
living  and  dying  for  men,  and  thou  mayest  depend 
upon  it,  a  Christlike  bnptism  of  the  Spirit,  a  Christ- 
like  fulness  of  the  Spirit,  will  be  thy  portion. 

Blessed  Lord !   liow  wondrously  Thou  hast  pro- 


LED  BY  THE  SPIlilT.  gig 

vided  for  our  ffrowinff  1,|.„ 

«  Thine  own 'nor;  !„;"'";  '°  ^-^'f.  «  giving 
''  i«  His  work  to  rev!a    Th      .°"      "  '"'''  "^  "'"^ 
/'r-enco  witlan  „  ""  if"'   ?.«'^<^,  -  ^1,^  Kea, 
'>^t   won   for   us    all  thl  r,  """  ""  Thou 

^irenoth   we    see  'in    Til  >""'   '"'''"^^^   «'"' 

""Parted  and  u,ade   our  v;,;'owr''°t   "'f    ■^"'^ 
"line,  and   shows   it   t„        ^     T  '     ^^   '"'^''^   of 

',!>-  Thee,  we'eann,^  live  ;  ^  :r.""n  '""  ''""  --« 
''k«  Thee  we  are  full  o    the  H       ^^"'  ""''•  ""'-^^^ 
''--'  -^e  Thy  nan    !  Ti       St'"^''     "'^^-'^- 
l'««t  promised  it;  it  nnvT T    •?  T^"'''^'''  Tl'ou 

Hoiy  Saviour.;   dr  7't '     r  '•  f ""  "^ 
'vait  and  plead  for  thil      J  ^  ""'*''   '"^ether  to 
to  see  the  wondrous  unfulfill  i"  "^'"^  "'"  ''P«»«'l 
of  the  Holy  Spirit      t' /  ,         ,  '"'""'■^''^  "^  "oo'l. 
Kive  theiuselves,  like  TW    Tr     ''""  ^^  ''™^"'  "> 
And  we  know  i   wi  1  I     Tht  d  r',?''  "'"  '"  ■-"• 
'"«««.  as   He  that  b.ntiil         ^^  '"  '"'«'  ^hine 

•••"I  with  lire.     Glo^t     'Vr';  ""  ""'^  «'"- 

J'  oe  DO  J  l,y  Name.     Amen. 


i. 

m 
M 


'„  Ui 


i '  In 


216 


LIKE  CUKIST  ; 


Twenty-Ninth    Day. 


Miij 


ai 


1 ',. 


LIKE  CHRIST: 

3In  }]is  Mtt  tbrousl)  tfje  iFatfjer* 

'  Even  as  I  live  by  the  Father,  so  he  that  eateth  me,  even  he 
shall  live  by  me.' — John  vi.  57. 

EVEKY  contemplation  of  a  walk  in  the  footsteps 
of  Christ,  and  in  His  likeness,  reveals  anew 
the  need  of  fixing  tlie  eye  on  the  deep  living  union 
between  the  Forerunner  and  His  followers.  Like 
Chrvit :  the  longer  we  meditate  on  the  word,  the 
more  we  realize  how  impossible  it  is  without  thnt 
other:  In  Christ.  Tlie  outward  likeness  can  only 
be  the  manifestation  of  a  living  inward  union.  To 
do  the  same  works  as  Christ,  I  must  have  the  same 
life.  The  more  earnestly  I  take  Him  for  my  example, 
the  more  I  am  driven  to  Him  as  my  Head.  Only 
an  inner  life  essentially  like  His,  can  lead  us  to  a 
visible  walk  like  His. 

What  a  blessed  word  we  have  here,  to  assure  us 
that  His  life  on  earth  and  ours  are  really  like  eacli 
other:  '  E  vai  as  I  live  by  the  Father,  so  he  that 
eateth  me,  even  he  shall  live  by  me.'  H  you 
desire  to  understand  your  life  in  Christ,  what  lb- 
will  be  for  you  and  how  He  will  work  in  you,  yoi 


IN  HIS  LIFB  TUKOUGIl  THE  FATHEE. 


217 


kre  us 

each 

Ihiit 

you 

It  II*- 

yoi 


tea 

r 


liave  only  to  contemplate  what  the  Father  was  for 
Him,  and  how  He  worked  in  Him.  Christ's  life 
in  and  through  the  Father  is  the  image  and  the 
measure  of  what  your  life  in  and  through  the  Son 
may  be.     Let  us  meditate  on  this. 

As  Christ's  life  was  a  life  hidden  in  God  in 
heaven,  so  must  ours  be.  When  He  emptied  Him- 
self of  His  Divine  glory,  He  laid  aside  the  free  use 
of  His  Divine  attributes.  He  needed  thus  as  a  man 
to  live  by  faith ;  He  needed  to  wait  on  the  Father 
for  such  communications  of  wisdom  and  power,  as 
it  pleased  the  Father  to  impart  to  Him.  He  was 
entirely  dependent  on  the  Father ;  His  life  was  hid 
in  God.  Not  in  virtue  of  His  own  independent 
Godhead,  but  through  the  operations  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  He  spoke  and  acted  as  the  Father  from  time 
to  time  taught  Him. 

Exactly  so,  believer,  must  your  life  be  hid  with 
Christ  in  God.  Let  tliis  encourage  you.  Christ 
calls  you  to  a  life  of  faith  and  dep(>udence,  because 
it  is  the  life  He  Himself  led.  He  lias  tried  it  and 
proved  its  blessedness ;  He  is  willing  now  to  live 
over  again  His  life  in  you,  to  teach  you  also  to  live 
in  no  other  way.  He  knew  that  the  Father  was 
His  life,  and  that  He  lived  through  tlie  Father,  and 
that  the  Father  supplied  His  need  moment  by 
moment.  And  now  He  assures  you  that  as  He 
lived  through  the  Father,  even  so  you  shall  live 
through  Him.  Take  this  assurance  in  faith.  Let 
your  heart  be  filled  with  the  thought  of  the  blessed- 
ness of  this  fulness  of  life,  which  is  prepared  for 


i         i 


218 


LIKK  chuist: 


'  If 


I 


you  in  Christ,  and  will  be  abundantly  supplied  as 
you  need  it.  Do  not  think  any  more  of  your 
spiritual  life,  as  somethin*^  that  you  must  watch  over 
and  nourish  with  care  and  anxiety,  liejoice  every 
day  that  you  need  not  live  on  your  own  streu,L>lh, 
but  in  your  Lord  Jesus,  even  as  He  lived  through 
His  Father. 

Even  as  Christ's  life  was  a  life  of  Divine  poirer, 
although  a  life  of  dependence,  so  ours  will  also  be. 
He  never  repented  having  laid  aside  His  glory,  to 
live  before  God  as  a  man  upon  earth.  The  Father 
never  disappointed  His  confidence,  He  gave  Him 
all  He  needed  to  accomplish  His  work.  Christ 
experienced  that  blessed  as  it  was  to  be  like  God  in 
lieaven,  and  to  dwell  in  the  enjoyment  of  Divine 
perfection,  it  was  no  less  blessed  to  live  in  the 
relation  of  entire  dependence  on  earth,  and  to 
receive  everything  day  by  day  from  His  hands. 

Believer,  if  you  will  have  it  so,  your  life  can  be 
the  same.  The  Divine  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
will  work  in  and  through  us.  Do  not  think  that 
your  earthly  circumstances  make  a  holy  life  to 
God's  glory  impossible.  It  was  just  to  manifest,  in 
the  midst  of  earthly  surroundings  which  were  even 
more  diflicult,  the  Divine  life,  that  Christ  came  aud 
lived  on  earth.  As  He  lived  so  blessed  an  earthly 
life  through  the  Father,  so  may  ye  also  live  your 
earthly  life  through  Him.  Only  cultivate  large 
expectations  of  what  the  Lord  will  do  for  you.  Let 
it  be  your  sole  desire  to  attain  to  an  entire  union 
with  Him.     It  is  impossible  to  say  what  the  Lord 


«  HIS  UP.  XH«OUa„  „„  ,,,„^^         \^^ 

■^'"^  ■«"»tld  do  for  a  so«f  „  7     ■ 

-  «'^«W^  tt«4/,  yf ;  ''y^  7^^  -«»,,  ,«  ;,,. 

">«  Father  „,ade  that  lifl  wit  ."-^  *''""'■■■  "'"' 

«.  wiJl  you  experience  n  ^     .   ' '"  ^'"■■'^-  «' "'"'-ious. 

Ife  Laa  undertaken  to  wort  J]  ""  """^  ''""  ^"''W 

^s  the  life  of  Chri  ■>  ^""^ 

'■'■'il  nnion  ma  tlu  X/™^  *'"  '""^'"■V^aatimi  of  Hu 

;,^>--  the  it  :r:::r '^'^''-  "'"^'^^-^^ 

'/""-•^  on  earth  n  Hi  i'::  t'"''  '"  "'""'f-' 
^''■-'  work  to  no  one  less  L ^  h':  f,  ^""''"  ""trust 
;;'«s  one  with   Him.     u "'"'  f '^  ''"'"ved  Son,  wl,„ 

'^f  "'e   Father  sent     I^-  t""'"  J'"  ""^  *» 
''""■er  I.ad  sent  Him  that  Vt  !"   '''"'"■'«  "'« 

"'««.  but  He  mu«t  eare  f»  rr  rf'^  '"'  ^'  »"'«r- 
"Pon  which  the  ,ui2!J!']  '''**•  ^"  '''«  ""'on 
;"ta  nty  tl,at  Jesus  Z.M  W  "'"'"'  ""^  '"--'J 
"le  Father.  "^  ''^<^  on   earth   through 

"««h  and  (Irinketh  mv  tl   ,  .     "  "''""^  "^•■"eth  ,ny 

Wood  for  the  life  of  !l.  ,^'™"  ^''■"^  «^''*''  and 

->  i-takes  of  lit     rTHi  t'"?"  ^'"">  " '« 
'■''o.t'O",  and  receives   ts  ,'lf/   '.''?'"''  "'"'  '''^■'"r- 
■^  "^".t  to  His  lathe,?  ^  '"/  f  '""•  "^  '^«  '-' 
•soever  ealeth  Me,' is  expre;sed   ,1      •''°''*'  '■^^■''"- 
.»nd  unbroken  communio^w^l         r    '"^"""^^  ^<'""' 
-  the  power  of  a  lif^i    H^'  ""  ^-"  J--%  which 

^"^  the  sou],  who  truly  Ton";  to  ,'  """  ^''"''  ""* 

y  'on„s  to  Jrve  entirely  and 


220 


UKE  CHBIST : 


•il' 


B 


only  by  Christ,  is  to  eat  Him,  daily  to  feed  on  Him, 
to  make  Him  his  own.^ 

To  attain  this,  seek  ccntiniially  to  have  your 
lieart  filled  with  a  believin"  and  lively  assurance 
tliat  all  Christ's  fulness  of  life  is  truly  yours. 
Ilejoice  in  the  contemplation  of  His  liunianity  in 
heaven,  and  tlie  wonderful  provision  Cod  has  mmh 
through  the  Holy  Spirit  for  the  communication  of  lliis 
life  of  your  Head  in  heaven,  to  flow  unbroken  and 
unhindered  down  upon  you.  Thank  God  unceas- 
ingly for  the  redemption  in  which  He  opened  tlie 
way  to  tlie  life  of  God,  and  for  the  wonderful  life 
now  provided  for  you  in  the  Son.  Offer  yourscdf 
unreservedly  to  Him  witli  an  open  heart  and  con- 
secrated life  that  seeks  His  service  alone.  In  such 
trust  and  consecration  of  faith,  in  the  outpouring  of 
love  and  cultivation  of  communion,  with  His  words 
abiding  in  you,  let  Jesus  be  your  daily  food.  lie 
who  eateth  me  shall  live  by  me :  even  as  the 
Father  has  sent  me,  and  I  live  by  tlie  Father. 

Beloved  Christian  !  what  think  you  ?  Does  not 
the  imitation  of  Christ  begin  to  seem  possible  in 
the  light  of  this  promise  ?  He  who  lives  through 
Christ  can  also  live  like  Him.  Therefore  let 
this  wonderful  life  of  Christ  on  earth  througii 
the  Father  be  the  object  of  our  adoring  contempla- 
tion, until  our  whole  heart  understands  and  accepts 
the  word,  'Even  so,  He  who  eateth  me  shall  live 
through  me.'  Then  we  shall  dismiss  all  care  and 
anxiety,  because  the  same  Christ  who  set  us  the 
*  For  the  application  of  our  text  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  see  Note. 


example    works    i„    „,   , 

"'"•''t  can  live  ou"  Z       ""    '''''^«"    'h"'    life 

n  "«.  m  order  that  we  mavlfv    r,"""  "'"'  I've, 
'"ve  and  praise  of  oar  Cl.  '"I JJ  ''""■  ^  the 

0  my  God  I  how  shall  T  fi,  > 
"'onderful  grace!  'J'hy  Son  h^"""^"  ^''««  ^^  ".is 
"S  he  blessedness  of  a  We  of7"'"  '"'"  '°  "^•''e'' 
«"  the  1-ather;  He  lived  thro  T'T  ''"P^ndenee 
!;^  "^een  given  „«  to  see  in  Hif  ,""  ^''''<^^-  ^t 
''f«  can  live  and  work  al   -  "'"  "'"  ^'vine 

""'V  He  is  ascended  into  h        '"""' ""  '^""'-     And 
'»  '«t  that  life  work    r  „"":'  ""^  ''"^  »"  P- 
;?;«»  «'  He  did  on  earth  :  Z  iTvoT  "'^  '°  «^- 
<-d.  p,.a,sed  be  Thy  „an,e  f!r  this  ,  """f  '""•     « 
J^"l.  my  God,  hear  H,„  "»«P«d<ahle  grace 

(0  Thnp      Tj  -1  "'^  prayer  tint  r        »""'- 

p  r,,     ■     "  't  may  be  show  i  ^  '""^  ""l  r 

«f  Christ's  life  through Ve  r<,"'  "'°'''^'  '""^h  m-e 
'''  0  my  God,  if  I  am  to  L  r  ^  "^^^  to  know 
-  the  spirit  of  wi:d  m  i„T,:\"''  f  ^  •'     Oh,  ^Z 


what  I 


can  do  tlirouo-h  Hi 


I'e  a  straggle  and  a.^eCt 

Will      nnri     TT-  CUUIC 


may 


S\^'m.     It  will  th 


poet  from  H 


en  no  Joi 


ini. 


li^f'r 


f '.  -d  His  eTamTle  P  '°  ""  --"".  t  C 
'"at  His  blessed  l7  „„  ^  tt"''  '  ^'""  ">-'  '™' '- 
■"g  to  the  word,  'Evenl  T     ''  "T  """o.  accord- 


'e  through  me.'      Th 


'^cn  as  I  throimii 


'g^i  the  Father 


;,'"-tin;the  Joyful  e.";;i^Vn  ''''  ^^^ 


^'^messake.     Amen, 


measure  for  H 


^1^' 

#- 


222 


LIKE  CIIUI8TI 


;i  ^ 


p' « 


\wBm  1 

.f^^^H'i    :4^, 

:j^^^H 

^m 

m 

notp:. 

Thou^'h  tho  words  of  our  Lord  Jesus  in  the  si.vtli 
of  John  were  not  spoken  directly  of  the  Lord's  Supiur, 
they  are  yet  applicable  to  it,  bccausis  tlM*y  set  forth  tli.it 
spiritual  blessing  of  which  the  Holy  Supper  is  tlic 
communication  in  a  visibly  form.  In  eatinj^  the  breiid 
and  drinking  the  wine,  our  spiritual  life  is  not  only 
strengthened  because  therein  the  i>ardon  of  our  sin; 
is  signified  and  sealed  to  us,  but  because  tlie  Holy  Spii  It 
does  indeed  make  us  i)artakers  of  the  very  body  ami 
blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  as  a  spiritual  reality.  So  one 
of  our  Iteformed  Church  Catechisms,  the  Heithlbeii,' 
(Qu.  78),  puts  it,  'What  is  it  then  to  eat  tlie  l)i(»k(ii 
body  and  drink  the  shed  blood  of  Christ  V  'It  is  //»/ 
onli/  to  embrace  with  a  believing  heart  the  sutleritjgs  ami 
death  of  Christ,  and  so  to  obtain  the  pardon  of  sin 
and  life  etcinal;  but  moreorer  also  that  we  are  uin'tcil 
to  His  sacred  bndy  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  dwells  botli  in 
Christ  and  in  us,  so  that  m;  though  Christ  be  in  heaven 
and  we  on  eaith,  are  neveitheh'ss  Jlesh  of  Jlis  flesh  ami 
hones  of  His  hoiu's.' 

It  is  known  that  there  are  in  our  Protestant  Chuiclios 
three  views  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  On  the  one  hand,  the 
Lutheran  with  its  consubstajitiation,  teaching  that  the 
body  of  our  Lord  is  so  i»rcsent  in  the  bread,  that  even  an 
unbeliever  eats  no  longer  only  bread,  but  the  body  ot 
the  Lord.  On  the  other  the  Zwinglian  view,  according' 
to  which  the  effect  of  the  Sacrament  is  a  very  imj)ressive 
exhibition  of  the  truth  that  the  death  of  Christ  is  to  us 
what  wine  and  bread  are  to  the  l)ody,  and  a  ven' 
expressive  confession  of  out-  faith  in  this  truth,  and  so 
of  our  interest  in  the  blessings  of  that  death.  As  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  Word  speaks  to  us  through  the  eai', 
so  in  the  Sacrament  through  the  eye.  Midway  between 
these  views  is  that  of  Calvin,  who  strongly  urges  that 
there  is  in  it  a  mysti'iious  blessing,  not  well  to  be 
expressed  in  words ;  that  it  is  not  enough  to  speak  of 
the  life  which  the  Spirit  gives  to  our  spirit  tlirough  faith, 


'"  "''  '''''  ^"''«^^^H  THK  r.THKH. 


223 


seed  of  H     ^^'.^'^o''}',  "n-l  i,avo  hI       ,  "^.'^  '""'^  «^'^'«<1 

avoir/?        ''  "'""^"-'^  ''odv  of  tin    '      "''^  '"  "«  '^•'^  tl.o 
avoiding.,  on  tl,o  ono  liand  n  '•es"Moctfon.     Wi,  ! 

change  in  ti.e  bioad        ' '  ""  «''^'''''"i'^ntaimn  yiownt 
l'>:«v»il»  us  to  the  reTatil  7  ,"  """o   ^'il'turli  v tt 

l'eavonly,vorl,J,tlu,s,    t,,       ;      '"   'I'mt-Wo  of     fe 

of  Heshand  blood.'     -iTw''      '  °"?'»''"=  ""  >"o"t  1?, 

«is  flesh  and  Mood  -.t  ,i   ''         "'"'  <-'""miiniicalos  i,. 
ticipation  of  life     '«,<,'"  '■■""■  »■'""=  enjoy,  tlf„ 

^7  the  Godhcudt  :  Lc'l  °    T,""'  "feflo-vi-X 

"^''""'*^'-^-^*---oe!i;:;ra7s 


.:'f^ 


Mil 


1 


Q 


224 


LIKK  ClIHl^T: 


:l 


' 


I 


to  the  Christian  life.  Hence  these  expressions :  "  The 
Church  is  'the  body  of  Christ.'"  "Our  bodies  are  'the 
nierabers  of  Christ.' "  *'  Wo  are  members  of  His  l)ody,  ol 
His  flesh  and  His  bones."  What  our  mind  does  not 
comprehend,  let  faith  receive,  tli.it  the  Spirit  unites 
thin<;8  80|>arated  by  space.  That  sacred  communion 
of  flesh  and  blood  by  which  Ciirist  transfuses  His  life 
into  us,  just  as  if  it  penetrated  our  bones  and  marrow, 
He  testifies  and  seals  in  the  Supjier,  not  by  represent  in;,' 
a  vain  or  empty  sign,  l)Ut  by  these  exerting  an  ellicacy 
of  the  Spirit  by  which  He  fulfils  what  He  promises.' 
*  I  willingly  admit  anything  which  helps  to  express  the 
true  and  substantial  communication  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  the  Lord,  Jis  exhibited  to  believers  under  the 
sacred  symbols  of  the  Supper,  understanding  that  they 
are  not  received  by  the  imagination  or  the  intelltct 
merely,  but  are  enjoyed  in  reality  as  the  food  of  eternal 
life.'  'We  say  that  Christ  descends  to  lis,  as  well  by 
the  external  symbol  as  by  His  Spirit,  that  Me  may  tiuly 
quicken  our  souls  by  the  substance  of  His  fiesh  and 
blood.'  'Such  is  the  corporeal  presence  which  the 
sacrament  recpiires,  and  which  we  say  is  here  disidayed 
in  such  power  and  etticacy,  that  it  not  only  gives  our 
minds  undoubted  assurance  of  heavenly  lite,  but  also 
secures  the  immortality  of  our  flesh.' ^ 

To  the  soul  who  seeks  fully  to  live  by  Christ  as  He 
did  by  the  Father,  the  sacrament  is  a  real  si)iritiial 
blessing,  something  more  than  what  faith  in  the  woid 
gives.  Let  all  the  praying  and  believing  and  living 
in  which  we  fccok  to  rea'i/.'  the  wonderful  blessing  of 
living  just  as  Christ  did  by  the  Father,  ever  cidminatc 
in  our  communion  of  tl-o  oody  and  blood  at  the  Lonl's 
table.  And  let  us  go  forth  from  each  such  celebration 
with  new  confidence,  that  what  has  been  given  aii<l 
confirmed  on  the  great  day  of  the  feast,  will  by  Jesus 
Himself  be  maintained  in  power  in  the  daily  life  through 
the  moie  ordinary  chantiels  of  His  grace — the  blcsscil 
fellowshii)  with  Himself  in  the  word  and  prayer. 
^  Ctklvin'a  JnsliluteH,  iv.  17,  §  7,  9,  10,  19,  24. 


IN  GlOlimiNG  T/IE  ^,,,,,,^ 


225 


illl 


''"hirtieth  Day. 


I'HCK  OHiUST: 

'  Father,  the  Jiour  *«  /.« 

T'WE  glory  of  „n  „|j;e„.   .     ,.    ^   . 

'™"y  to  all  that  U  expec  erf    r  '""'  ""'^''^  Per- 
;;-■  perfection  ,„ay  befohw/  '''""  ""-"-'<« 

'  >e  ol'jeet  has  no  glory  to  t!^,'   T  ""'"""'"■  ""' 

■ate  and  condemns  ^r     ,,1     ^^^""'^  One  Ho 
fr'^es  the  sinner  from   te  n„  ""'^  ^ne  He  also 

'■"■"mnnion  «ith  hL   /T ''""'  '"'''' '''"^  '<' 
?'-  of  Israel,  thy  BeTeeLr  ^";;"""'  '''■ '  ^''«  ^f°'>- 


II 


!^J 


:isii'i 


I 


226 


LIKS  CHRIST  : 


midst  of  thee/  To  the  Blessed  Spirit,  whose 
special  work  it  is  to  maintain  the  fellowship  of  God 
with  man,  the  title  of  Holy  in  the  New  Testament 
belongs  more  than  to  the  Father  or  the  Son.  It  is 
this  holiness,  judging  sin  and  saving  sinners,  which 
is  the  glory  of  God.  For  this  reason  the  two  words 
are  often  found  together.  So  in  the  song  of  Moses : 
'Who  is  like  Thee,  glorious  in  holiness V  So  in 
the  song  of  the  Seraphim :  *  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord 
God  of  hosts ;  the  whole  earth  is  full  of  His  glory' 
And  so  in  the  song  of  the  Lamb :  '  V.^io  shall  not 
glorify  Thy  Name  ?  for  Thou  only  art  Holy*  As  has 
been  well  said :  *  God's  glory  is  His  manifested 
holiness ;  God's  holiness  is  His  hidden  glory.' 

When  Jesus  came  to  eartb,  it  was  that  He 
might  glorify  the  Father,  that  He  might  again  show 
forth  in  its  true  light  and  beauty  that  glory  which 
sin  had  so  entirely  hid  from  man.  Man  himself  had 
been  created  in  the  image  of  God,  that  God  might 
lay  of  His  glory  upon  him,  to  be  shown  forth  in 
him — that  God  might  be  glorified  in  him.  The 
Holy  Ghost  says,  '  Man  is  the  image  and  glory  of 
God.'  Jesus  came  co  restore  man  to  his  high 
destiny :  He  laid  aside  the  glory  which  He  had  with 
the  Father,  and  came  in  our  weakness  and  humilia- 
tion, that  He  might  teach  us  how  to  glorify  the 
Father  on  earth.  God's  glory  is  perfect  and 
infinite :  man  cannot  contribute  any  new  glory  to 
God,  above  what  He  has :  he  can  only  serve  as  a 
glass  in  which  the  glory  of  God  is  reflected.  God's 
holiness  is  His  glory  :  as  the  holiness  of  God  is  seen 


»  oionmmo  the  wthbr 


in   h-  "^  227 

«f.ow™;rth°'  ''  «'°"''«<^'-  H«  6lo:y  aa  God  is 

B«  ye  holy,  for  I  am  ho  ^  '.•   t"  "'""''""aUy  said! 

thl  ;^  ^^  "'""W  enter  into  Llll  t     """"y  '^'t'" 
the  Holy  One.     In  Hi,  „    i      "^''"^  «''*  Him  as 
a  His  sacrifice  of  H^T"^'"'  ^'"^  »'°  ""d  S^ 
*eFather-s  teach  nf  1  h""  ''"'•  '•"  »'«  waiting^ 

*» «-  Word.  chrisT;h:w^:^th:ir'""'"«  <"-''-- 

''orth  living  for.  but  t W  ™        '  .'*'""'^<' -"aing 
what  a  blessed  thing  t  is  Iw^.k""?'  ""<'«''"«"d 
^«  GOK.  His  will  afone  actoL  !' ^"'^  ^"^  "■•% 
Because  He  alone  is  holy  H^    ?f^"'  '^'^  "^ed 
done,  and  so  His  g^t'  sW      "'""'  ^'''"^''  ^^ 

Jesus  glorified  pJ  i  "  ""  "»• 

only  in  hI  icli  Jiatr"*"^  ^^  He  n„t 
^«d  given  Him.  and%Wed  """^  J"^'^«»"«  «od 
There  is  something  f„  „         "'''°  ""e  Father  is 

'""allyspolceof  Isown     "^  ''*'"°"-     ^e  con 
l^'Y     He  did  no   C"  ^T""!!  -'"tion  to  the 
His  holy  life    jj      ^™'  to  the  silent  influence  of 

*-d  what  the 'i  r^d  ,'C?f  ^1r^  '^  -"e  - 
«fter  time  He  told  them  Z  h"'"'  '"«  ^''«-    Time 
«e«t  from  the  Father.  t^atHe^'  ''T  *"  "  «»^«t 
and  owed  everything  to  ir^' fiT*"  "P""  »« 
the  Father's  honour  Jd  f  ?' ,  ''f  ■"«  ""'y  sought 

'»f  ase  theFather!     itt  Hif"  '^^P'"-  -'^ 
Jesus  glorified  God  *«  !!         „  ""'''  ""'^  ^vour. 


s 


!!i4  ! 


'■i 


f'M' 


Wid 


228 


LIKE  CHRIST; 


and  God's  holiness  is  His  redeeming  love :  love 
that  triumphs  over  sin  by  conquering  the  sin  and 
rescuing  the  sinner.  Jesus  not  only  told  of  t^o 
Father  being  the  Eighteous  One,  whose  condemna- 
tion must  rest  on  sin,  and  the  Loving  One  who  saves 
every  one  who  turns  from  his  sin,  but  He  gave 
Himself  to  be  a  sacrifice  to  that  righteousness,  a 
servant  to  that  love,  even  unto  the  death.  It  was 
not  only  in  acts  of  obedience,  or  words  of  confession, 
that  He  glorified  God,  but  in  giving  Himself  to 
magnify  the  holiness  of  God,  to  vindicate  at  once 
His  law  and  His  love  by  His  atonement.  He  gave 
Himself,  His  whole  life  and  being.  Himself  wholly, 
to  show  how  the  Father  loved,  and  longed  to  bless, 
how  the  Father  must  condemn  the  sin,  and  yet 
would  save  the  sinner.  He  counted  nothing  too 
great  a  sacrifice,  He  lived  and  died  only  for  this, 
that  the  glory  of  the  Father,  the  glory  of  His 
holiness,  of  His  redeeming  love,  might  break  through 
the  dark  veil  of  sin  and  flesh,  and  shine  into  the 
hearts  of  the  children  of  men.  As  He  Himself 
expressed  it  in  the  last  week  of  His  life,  when  the 
approaching  anguish  began  to  press  in  upon  Him : 
'Now  is  my  soul  troubled.  And  what  shall  I  say 
— Father,  save  me  from  this  hour  ?  But  for  this 
came  I  unto  the  world:  Father!  glorify  Thy 
Name.*  And  the  assurance  came  that  the  sacrifice 
was  well-pleasing  and  accepted,  in  the  answer :  *  I 
have  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again.' 

It  was  thus  Jesus  as  man  was  prepared  to  have 
part  in  the  glory  of   God:    He  sought  it  in  the 


IN  GLOBIFYING  THE  FATHER. 


229 


hiiTniliation  on  earth ;  He  found  it  on  the  throne 
of  heaven.  And  so  He  is  become  our  forerunner, 
leadiug  many  children  to  glory :  He  shows  us  that 
the  sure  way  to  the  glory  of  God  in  heaven  is  to  live 
only  for  the  glory  of  God  on  earth.  Yes,  this  is  the 
glory  of  a  life  on  earth :  glorifying  God  here,  we 
are  prepared  to  be  glorified  with  Him  for  ever. 

Beloved  Christian !  is  it  not  a  wonderful  calling, 
blessed  beyond  all  conception,  like  Christ  to  live 
only  to  glorify  God,  to  let  God's  glory  shine  out  in 
every  part  of  our  life  ?  Let  us  take  time  to  take  in 
the  wondrous  thought :  our  daily  life,  down  to  its 
most  ordinary  acts,  may  be  transparent  with  the 
glory  of  God.  Oh !  let  us  study  this  trait  as  one 
that  makes  the  wondrous  image  of  our  Jesus 
specially  attractive  to  us :  He  glorified  the  Father. 
Let  us  listen  to  Him  as  He  points  us  to  the  high 
aim,  that  your  Father  in  heaven  may  he  glorified, 
and  as  He  shows  us  the  way,  Herein  is  my  Father 
glorified.  Let  us  remember  how  He  told  us  that, 
when  in  heaven  He  answers  our  prayer,  this  would 
still  be  His  object,  and  let  in  every  breathing  of 
prayer  and  faith  it  be  our  object  too :  '  That  the 
Father  may  he  glorified  in  tlie  Son'  Let  our  whole 
life,  like  Christ's,  be  animated  by  this  as  its  ruling 
principle,  growing  stronger  until  in  a  holy  en- 
thusiasm OUT  watchword  has  become :  All,  All  to 
THE  Gloky  of  God.  And  let  our  faith  hold  fast  the 
confidence  that  in  the  fulness  of  the  Spirit  there  is 
the  sure  provision  for  our  deeire  being  fulfilled: 
*  Know  ye  not  that  your  body  is  the  temple  of  the 


230 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


I 


Holy  Spirit,  which  is  in  you  ? — therefore  glorify  God 
ill  your  body  and  in  your  spirit.* 

If  we  want  to  know  the  way,  let  us  again  study 
Jesus.  He  obeyed  the  Fiither.  Let  simple  down- 
right obedience  mark  our  whole  life.  Let  an 
humble,  childlike  waiting  for  direction,  a  soldier-like 
looking  for  orders,  a  Christlike  dependence  on  the 
Father's  showing  us  His  way,  be  our  daily  attitude. 
Let  everything  be  done  to  thij  Lord,  according  to 
His  will,  for  His  glory,  in  direct  relationship  to 
Himself.  Ltt  God's  glory  shine  out  in  the  holiness 
of  our  life. 

He  confessed  the  Father :  He  did  not  hesitate  to 
speak  often  of  His  personal  relationship  and  inter- 
course, just  as  a  little  child  would  do  of  an  earthly 
parent.  It  is  not  enougli  that  we  live  right  before 
men:  how  can  they  understand,  if  there  be  no 
interpreter  ?  They  need,  not  as  a  matter  of  preach- 
ing, but  as  a  peisonal  testimony,  to  hear  that  wh;it 
we  are  and  do  is  hecausc  we  love  the  Father,  and 
are  livimj  for  Him.  The  witness  of  the  life  and 
the  words  must  go  together.^ 

And  He  gave  Himself  to  the  Father's  work.  So 
He  glorified  Him.  He  showed  sinners  tliat  God  has 
a  right  to  have  us  wholly  and  only  for  Himself,  that 
God's  glory  alone  is  worth  living  and  dying  for,  and 
that  as  we  give  ourselves  to  this,  God  will  most 
wonderfully  use  and  bless  us  in  leading  others  to 
see  and  confess  His  glory  too.  It  was  that  men 
might  glorify  the  Father  in  heaven,  might  find  their 

*  See  note. 


i 


orify  God 

lin  study 
le  down- 
Let    an 
Idier-like 
s  on  tlie 
attitude, 
rding  to 
»ship  to 
holiness 


''  ^^«^^m.G  rUE  P.,H.H. 


Wessedness  also  in  i,       .  ^^ 

^  ^'^«  '»  glorify  Thee 
,  "  my  God  1    r  ^„ 
p'ory ;  I  feel  deeply  hn^"""^  ^''««'  «how  me   Th 
■-^  "-y  resolution  or  Pff.  """'''^  ^'"Possibr  ,•> 
"P  or  bind  myself  T,     ""  "^  ""i-e,  to  mJ  ?' 

-«'  mate  aU   C'  "^'^  »«  argC"^-  ™^'" 
*ow  me  hn„     ,   ^  goodness  pas/  htf''^'       ^°" 

W'*   Father   i.  ''"'''  "»««  to  earth  f       , 

•     -^eacii  us  to  ^ark 


•i 


m  1 


'.'Si 


li/r 


«l 


232 


LIKE  CHRIST: 


Thy  confession  of  the  Father,  and  how  Thou  didst 
in  personal  testimony  tell  men  of  what  He  was  to 
Thee,  and  what  Thou  didst  feel  for  Him,  and  let 
our  lips  too  tell  out  what  we  taste  of  the  love  of 
the  Father,  that  men  may  glorify  Him.  And  above 
all,  oh !  teach  us  that  it  is  in  saving  sinners  that 
redeeming  love  has  its  triumph  and  its  joy,  that 
it  is  in  holiness  casting  out  sin  that  God  has  His 
highest  glory.  And  do  Thou  so  take  possession  of 
our  whole  hearts  that  we  may  love  and  labour,  live 
and  <i'e.  '>  x*  this  one  thing,  '  That  every  tongue 
should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the 
Glou/  ov  Ooi  "i  e  Father.* 

0  my  Father !  let  the  wliole  earth,  let  my  heart, 
be  filled  with  Thy  glory.     Amen. 


NOTE. 

'Let  us  begin  by  considering  what  was  the  ground- 
work of  the  whole  beauty  and  harmony  of  our  blessed 
Saviour's  character.  Love  to  the  Father  was  the  ruling 
motive  of  His  Hfe.  It  so  pervaded  His  nature  as  to 
find  expression,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  every  word  as 
well  as  every  action.  It  will  be  well  if  we  try  to  realize 
something  of  the  perfect  simplicity  with  which  that  love 
was  so  continually  shown  forth  in  daily  life. 

*  Wo  especially  need  to  remind  ourselves  of  how  entirely 
this  was  the  case,  because,  in  these  days  of  artificial 
manners,  and  of  false  shame,  we  are  so  frequently  tempted 
to  conceal  our  true  motives,  and  to  think  it  a  disgrace 
if  we  are  led  into  any  sign  of  betraying  our  deepest 
religious  feelings.     We  conceal  them  from  those  who 


IN  GLORIFYING  THE  FATHEB. 


— •  23^ 

ack,„gi„    ^  teste     SeUfea™^^'""  ■'"•#''*  """k  "s 
he  merest  breath  of  dWpJ^^  '^«  f  «*«  rebuke. 

sLall  find  :btZt°:'.:tfe^^''»''<'  »  different  tlnW  We 

tl'at  false  Ufecreiion  wh?l'^. '■"  O"  Master's  life,  ^fiut 

.  from  onraelves,  but  f^.m  thf  T*'  '"  '''™rt  "otiee,  not 

"""duct,  and  i'„  „„,er  "  «!'''"'*'"  I'"''<=ipi«»  of  ou' 

from  being  woundedrSmU  no  T  T"  ^^'O*  feelings 

^  e  life  of  our  Lord     Tnvi-    '*»"'«n'art  whatever  fn 

Christ  loved  the  Urj  ih  p'l*"':'?''  '""•»•<>.  a^  man 
w«h  all  His  strength  ^d  ?m'  T!"'  *"  H's  heart, Td 
not  but  assert  itsSf  con^^t'  *Per.a.li„g  l„ve  1^^ 
unhesitatingly  referred  tnT  ^'  ■"'  '^''d  simply  and 
the  slightest  occS  for  ,  ,f  *  '""P'"  '''«='.  >vtaever 
ty d  object  ihatZ^lfT&Tl  "T.'    ^'  ''» "  ^s 

~  ite^c^^^teutKt 

persona  connection  with  hS„^""  ^^^"  ''»*'*°^ate  and 

'Hrrato^„i-rb"r?--^dZi.ie^^^^ 

-»./-.. IS  "t^::  He  M;.^e^^ 

••^^mes.    -Religious  Tract  Society. 


"t 


ii 


M 


234 


LIK£  OUIOST : 


Thirty-First  Day. 


LIKE    CHKIST: 

*We  know  that  when  He  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  Him; 

for  we  shall  see  Him  as  He  is.    And  every  man  that  bath  this 

hope  in  him  purifleth  himself,  euen  aa  He  is  pure.* — 1  Joun  iii. 

2,  3. 
*And  I  appoint  unto  you  a  kingdom,  euen  aa  my  Father 

hath  appointed  unto  me.* — Luke  xxiL  29. 

aOD'S  glory  is  L'^  holiness.  To  glorify  God  is 
to  yield  ourselves  that  God  in  us  may  show 
forth  His  glory.  It  is  only  by  yielding  ourselves  to 
be  holy,  to  let  His  holiness  fill  our  life,  that  His 
glory  can  shine  forth  from  us.  The  one  work  of 
Christ  was  to  glorify  the  Father,  to  reveal  what  a 
glorious  Holy  God  He  is.  Our  one  work  is,  like 
Christ's,  so  by  our  obedience,  and  testimony,  and  life, 
to  make  known  our  God  as  'glorious  in  holiness,' 
that  He  may  be  glorified  in  heaven  and  earth. 

When  the  Lord  Jesus  had  glorified  the  Father  on 
earth,  the  Father  glorified  Him  with  Himself  in 
heaven.  This  was  not  only  His  just  reward ;  it 
was  a  necessity  in  the  very  nature  of  things. 
There  is  no  other  place  for  a  life  given  up  to  the 
glory  of  God,  as  Christ's  was,  than  in  that  glory. 


IN  HIS  GLORY. 


235 


The  law  holds  good  for  us  too :  a  heart  that  yearns 
and  thirsts  for  the  glory  of  God,  that  is  ready  to 
live  and  die  for  it,  becomes  prepared  and  fitted  to 
live  in  it.  Living  to  God's  glory  on  eartli  is  the  gate 
to  living  in  God's  glo^y  in  heaven.  If  with  Christ 
we  glorify  the  Father,  the  Father  will  with  Christ 
glorify  us  too.  Yes,  we  shall  be  like  Him  in  His 
glory. 

We  shall  be  like  Him  in  ffis  spiritual  glm^,  the 
glory  of  His  holiness.  In  the  union  of  the  two 
words  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  see  that 
what  is  HOLY  and  what  is  spiriiual  stand  in  the 
closest  connection  with  each  other.  When  Jesus 
as  man  had  glorified  God  by  revealing,  and  honour- 
ing, and  giving  Himself  up  to  His  holiness,  he  was 
as  man  taken  up  into  and  made  partaker  of  the 
Divine  glory. 

And  so  it  will  be  with  us.  If  here  on  earth  we 
have  given  ourselves  to  have  God's  glory  take  posses- 
sion of  us,  and  God's  holiness,  God's  Holy  Spirit, 
dwell  and  shine  in  us,  then  our  human  nature  with 
all  our  faculties,  created  in  the  likeness  of  God,  shall 
have  poured  into  and  transfused  through  it,  in  a 
way  that  passes  all  conception,  the  purity  and  the 
holiness  and  the  life,  the  very  brightness  of  the 
glory  of  God. 

We  shall  be  like  Him  in  His  glorified  body.  It 
has  been  well  said  :  Embodiment  is  the  end  of  the 
ways  of  God.  The  creation  of  man  was  to  be  God's 
masterpiece.  There  had  previously  b(ien  spirits  with- 
out bodies,  and  animated  bodies  without  spirits,  but 


.i'  > 


\ 


236 


LIKK  CHRIST ! 


in  man  there  was  to  be  a  spirit  in  a  body  lifting  up 
and  spiritualizing  the  body  into  its  own  heavenly 
purity  and  perfection.  Man  as  a  whole  is  God's 
image,  his  body  as  much  as  his  spirit.  In  Jesus  a 
human  body — 0  mystery  of  mysteries  ! — is  set  upon 
the  tlirone  of  God,  is  found  a  worthy  partr  er  and 
container  of  the  Divine  glory.  Our  bodies  are 
going  to  be  the  objects  of  the  most  astonishing 
miracle  of  Divine  transforming  power :  *  He  will 
fashion  our  vile  body  like  unto  His  glorious  body, 
according  to  the  working  whereby  He  is  able  even 
to  subdue  all  things  unto  Himself.'  The  glory  of 
God  as  seen  in  our  bodies,  made  like  Christ's 
glorious  body,  will  be  something  almost  more 
wonderful  than  in  our  spirits.  We  are  '  waiting  for 
the  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption  of  our  body.' 

We  shall  be  like  Him  in  His  place  of  honour. 
Every  object  must  have  a  fit  place  for  its  glory  to 
be  seen.  Christ's  place  is  the  central  one  in  the 
universe :  the  throne  of  God.  He  spake  to  His 
disciples,  '  Where  I  am,  there  shall  my  servant  be. 
If  any  man  serve  me,  Jdm  will  my  Father  honour.' 
'  I  appoint  you  a  kingdom,  even  as  my  Fath'  r  hath 
appointed  me ;  that  ye  may  eat  and  drink  at  my 
table,  and  sit  on  thrones  judging  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel.'  To  the  Church  at  Thyatira  He  says: 
'  He  that  overcometh  and  keepeth  my  words  unto 
the  end,  to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations, 
EVEN  AS  I  received  of  my  Father.'  And  to  the 
Church  at  Laodicea :  '  To  him  that  overcometh  will 
I  grant  to  sit  on  my  throne,  even  as  I  overcame. 


^  HIS  QLOBT. 


237 


borue  the  i„,„g„  ^f    j^"""'  \«-  'Ev^N  as  we  have 

"-tofse  truth  wha  Dit^e "  r'  """''"»"  "'"" 
God's  creative  word-  -W  ""  u«  '^'"'  '«  « 
"nagc,  after  Our  likeness '  rl  T'  "'"•  «  0" 
ness  of  the  Invisible  tnl  ""^  '""h  the  lilie- 

Nature,  to  shar  v"  h  00/1?^"  "  ""«  ^'-t 
'^  man's  destiny.  His  "f*  "1'^°'  "'«  "niverse, 
speakable  glory     StZ  r      t  "  '"'^"^  ""e  of  un- 

t-.e  eternai'pu,^  J  rteh  r ""  "^°  «^-'H 
to  be  eonf„rn,ed  to  theWe  of  T /'^'^''''"^'^^ 
«nd  the  eternal  reali  JirTu      '"  *'^'-''°™  Son. 
fall  be  like  hC^Z  1^'  ^"P"'"  '^''«°  ^^e 
from  every  side:  0  yel'l^C"  ""^  ">«  ^°'«« 
he  way  to  share  the'^lo^'fr'^^^V"'  ««>,  on 
l.ve  a  Godlike,  live  a  AZl  S  "'"'  ''  ^^™'- 

^  shall  be  satisfied  when    T  , 

UKENEss.'  so  the  PsalmiTf  "'^''^  «"■">  Thv 

;^»  satisfy  the  soul^rOoTs^-"'  "''■  ^"^ing 
that  it  was  created  lid  ^b  ""'«"'  ''««"'»«  for 
external  to  it.  only  seen  bnf  ?  '""  *"  something 
Partaker  of  that  fkeTe's  "L  "r^^"'  't  is  af 
Blessed  they  who  Cel^„r  f""  ''^  '""^fied. 
h-'-ger;  they  shall  be  ^1  Tl  T^''  '"^"^"'e 
"ess  of  God.  this  will  be  th.  „l        '  """  ^^'y  ^^l^e. 

on  them  from  God  Hin^lf  L*  '"■^f  "''""^^  <'<"^n 

■amiselt,  streammg  through  their 


!l      SI 


Hi 


238 


LIKE  CHRIST  I 


whole  being,  streaming  out  from  them  through  thu 
universe.  '  Wlien  Christ  who  is  *our  life  shall  be 
manifested,  we  also  shall  be  manifested  with  Him 
in  glory.' 

Beloved  fellow-Christians !  nothing  can  be  maae 
manifest  in  that  day  that  has  not  a  real  existence 
here  in  this  life.  If  the  glory  of  God  is  not  our 
life  here,  it  cannot  be  hereafter.  It  is  impossible ; 
him  alone  who  glorifies  God  here,  can  God  glorify 
hereafter.  '  Man  is  the  image  and  gbjry  of  God.' 
It  is  as  you  bear  the  image  of  God  here,  as  you 
live  in  the  likeness  of  Jesus,  who  is  the  brightn<,'ss 
of  His  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  His  person, 
that  you  will  be  fitted  for  the  glory  to  come.  If 
we  are  to  be  as  the  imago  of  the  heavenly,  the 
Christ  in  glory,  we  must  first  bear  the  image  of  th 
earthly,  the  ('lirist  in  humiliation. 

Child  of  God !  Christ  is  the  uncreated  image  of 
God.  Man  is  His  created  image.  On  the  throne  in 
the  glory  the  two  will  be  eternally  one.  You  know 
what  Christ  did,  hew  He  drew  near,  how  He  sacrificed 
all,  to  restore  us  to  the  possession  of  that  image. 
Oh,  shall  we  not  at  length  yield  ourselves  to  this 
wonderful  love,  to  this  glory  inconceivable,  and 
give  our  life  wholly  to  manifest  the  likeness  and 
the  glory  of  Christ.  Shall  we  not,  like  Him,  make 
the  Father's  glory  our  aim  and  hope,  living  to  His 
glory  here,  as  the  way  to  live  in  His  glory  there. 

The  Fatliers  glory :  it  is  in  this  that  Christ's  glory 
and  ours  have  their  common  orig'ii.  Let  the  Father 
be  to  us  what  He  was  to  Him,  and  the  Father's 


IK  HIS  GLORY. 


239 


glory  will  be  ours  as  it  is  His.  All  the  traits  of  the 
life  of  Christ  converge  to  this  as  their  centre.  He 
was  Son ;  He  lived  as  Son ;  God  was  to  Him 
Father.  As  Son  He  sought  the  Father's  glory; 
as  Son  He  found  it.  Oh  !  let  this  be  our  conformity 
to  the  image  of  the  Son,  tliat  the  Faihru  is  the 
all  in  all  of  our  life ;  the  Father's  glory  must  be  our 
everlasting  home. 

Beloved  brethren !  who  have  accompanied  me 
thus  far  in  tliese  meditations  on  the  image  of  our 
Lord,  and  the  Christlike  life  in  which  it  is  to  be 
reflected,  the  time  is  now  come  for  us  to  part. 
Let  us  do  so  with  the  word,  'We  shall  be  like 
Him,  for  we  shall  see  Him  as  He  is.  He  who 
hath  this  hope  in  Him  purificth  Himself,  even  as 
He  is  pure.*  Like  Christ!  let  us  pray  for  each 
other,  and  for  all  God's  children,  that  in  ever- 
growing measure  this  may  be  the  one  aim  of  our 
faith,  the  one  desire  of  our  heart,  the  one  joy  of  our 
life.  Oil,  what  will  it  be  when  we  meet  in  the 
glory,  when  we  see  Him  as  He  is,  and  see  each  other 
all  like  Him ! 

Ever  blessed  and  most  glorious  God!  what 
thanks  shall  we  render  Thee  for  the  glorious  gospel 
of  Christ,  who  is  the  image  of  God,  and  for  the 
light  of  Thy  glory  which  shines  upon  us  in  Him  I 
And  what  thanks  shall  we  render  Thee,  that  in 
Jesus  we  have  seen  the  image  not  only  of  Thine,  but 
of  our  glory,  the  pledge  of  what  we  are  to  be  with 
Thee  through  eternity  I 


i' 


1 


240 


LIKE  CHRIST  IN  HIS  GLOBT. 


0  God !  forgive  us,  forgive  us  for  Jesus*  blood's 
sake,  that  we  have  so  little  believed  this,  that  we 
have  so  little  lived  this.  And  we  beseech  Thee 
that  Thou  wouldst  reveal  to  all  who  have  had 
fellowship  with  each  other  in  these  meditations, 
what  'J'HE  GLOiiY  is  in  which  they  are  to  live 
eternally,  in  which  they  can  be  living  even  now,  as 
they  glorify  Thee.  0  Father  !  awaken  us  and  all 
Thy  children  to  see  and  feel  what  Thy  purpose 
with  us  is.  We  are  indeed  to  spend  eternity  in 
Thy  glory :  Thy  glory  is  to  be  around  us,  and  on 
us,  and  in  us ;  we  are  to  be  like  Thy  Son  in  His 
glory.  Father!  we  beseech  Thee,  oh  visit  Thy 
Church  !  Let  Thy  Holy  Sjjirit,  the  Spirit  of  glory, 
work  mightily  in  her;  and  let  this  be  her  one  desire, 
the  one  mark  by  which  she  is  known :  the  glory 
of  God  resting  upon  her. 

Our  Father !  grant  it  for  Jesus'  sake.     Amen. 


ON  PKEACllING  CHKIBT  OUIl  EXAMPLE.       241 


-^A 


0n  preadfeittg  Cfjrist  our  featnple* 


LET  us  make 
LIKENESS  : ' 


man  in  our  image,  after  our 
in  these  words  of  the  Council  of 
Creation,  with  which  the  Bible  history  of  man  opens, 
we  have  the  revelation  of  the  Eternal  purpose  to 
which  man  owes  his  existence,  of  the  glorious  eternal 
future  to  which  he  is  destined.  God  proposes  to 
make  a  Godlike  creature,  a  being  who  shall  be 
His  very  image  anJ  likeness,  the  visible  manifesta- 
tion of  the  glory  of  the  Invisible  One. 

To  have  a  being,  at  once  created  and  yet  God- 
like, was  indeed  a  task  worthy  of  Infinite  Wisdom. 
It  is  the  nature  and  glory  of  God  that  He  is  abso- 
lutely independent  of  all  else,  having  life  in  Him- 
self, owing  His  existence  to  none  but  Himself  alone. 
If  man  is  to  be  Godlike,  he  must  bear  His  image 
and  likeness  in  this  too,  that  he  must  become  what 
he  is  to  be,  of  his  own  free  choice;  he  must  make  him- 
self. It  is  the  nature  and  glory  of  the  creucure  to  be 
dependent,  to  owe  everything  to  the  Blessed  Creator. 
How  can  the  contradictiou  be  reconciled  ? — a  being 
a.t  once  dependent  and  yet  self-determined,  created 
and  yet  GodUke.  In  man  the  mystery  is  solved. 
As  a  creature  God  gives  him  life,  but  endows  him 
with  the  wonderful  power  of  a  free  will ;  it  is  only 
in  the  process  of  a  personal  and  voluntary  appropria- 
tion that  anytliing  so  high  and  holy  as  likeness  to 
God  can  really  become  his  very  own. 


242 


ON  PKEACHING  CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


When  sin  entered,  and  man  fell  from  his  high 
destiny,  God  did  not  give  up  His  purpose.  Of  His 
revelation  in  Israel  the  central  thought  was :  '  Be 
ye  holy,  as  I  am  holy,'  Likeness  to  God  in  that 
which  constitutes  His  highest  perfection  is  to  be 
Israel's  hope.  Redemption  had  no  higher  ideal 
than  Creation  had  revealed ;  it  could  only  take  up 
and  work  out  the  Eternal  purpose. 

It  was  with  this  in  view  that  the  Father  sent  to 
the  earth  the  Son  who  was  the  express  Image  of 
His  person.  In  Him  the  God-likeness  to  which  we 
had  been  created,  and  which  we  had  personally  to 
appropriate  and  make  our  own,  was  revealed  in 
human  form :  He  came  to  show  to  us  at  once  the 
Image  of  God  and  our  own  image.  In  looking 
upon  Him,  the  desire  after  our  long-lost  likeness  to 
God  was  to  be  awakened,  and  that  hope  and  faifi 
begotten  which  gave  us  courage  to  yield  ourselves  to 
be  renewed  after  that  Image.  To  accomplish  this, 
there  was  a  twofold  work  He  had  to  do.  The  one 
was  to  reveal  in  His  life  the  likeness  of  God,  so  that 
we  might  know  what  a  life  in  that  likeness  was, 
and  understand  what  it  was  we  had  to  expect  and 
accept  from  Him  as  our  Redeemer.  Wlien  He  had 
done  this,  and  shown  us  the  likeness  of  the  life  of  God 
in  human  form.  He  died  that  He  might  win  for  us, 
and  impart  to  us.  His  own  life  as  the  life  of  the  like- 
ness of  God,  that  in  its  power  we  might  live  in  tlie 
likeness  of  what  we  had  seen  in  Him.  And  when 
He  ascended  to  heaven,  it  was  to  give  us  in  the 
Holy  Spirit  the  power  of  that  life  He  had  first  set 
before  us  and  then  won  to  impart  to  us. 


ON  PREACHING  CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


243 


It  is  easy  to  see  how  close  the  connection  is 
between  these  two  parts  of  the  work  of  our  Lord, 
and  how  the  one  depends  upon  the  other.  For 
what  as  our  Example  He  had  in  His  life  revealed. 
He  as  our  Redeemer  by  His  death  purchased  the 
power.  His  earthly  life  showed  the  path,  His 
heavenly  life  gives  the  power,  in  which  we  are  to 
walk.  What  God  hath  joined  together  no  man  may 
separate.  Whoever  does  not  staled  in  the  full  faith 
of  the  Eedemption,  has  not  the  strength  to  follow 
the  Example.  And  whoever  does  not  seek  con- 
formity to  the  Image  as  the  great  object  of  the 
Redemption,  cannot  fully  enter  into  its  power. 
Christ  lived  on  earth  that  He  might  show  forth  tJie 
image  of  God  in  His  life :  He  lives  in  heaven  that 
we  may  show  forth  the  image  of  God  in  our  lives. 

The  Church  of  Christ  has  not  always  maintained 
the  due  relation  of  these  two  truths.  In  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  the  former  of  the  two  was 
placed  in  the  foreground,  and  the  following  of 
Christ's  example  pressed  with  great  earnestness. 
As  the  fruit  of  this,  she  can  point  to  no  small 
number  of  saints  who,  notwithstanding  many 
errors,  with  admirable  devotion  sought  literally  and 
entirely  to  bear  the  Master's  image.  But  to  the 
great  loss  of  earnest  souls,  the  other  half  of  the 
truth  was  neglected,  that  only  they  who  in  tlie 
power  of  Christ's  death  receive  His  life  within 
them,  are  able  to  imitate  His  life  as  set  before  them. 

The  Protestant  Churches  owe  their  origin  to  the 
revival  of  the  second  truth.  The  truth  of  God's 
pardoning  and  quickening  grace  took  its  true  place 


ti\ 


244 


ON  PKEACHING  CHKIST  OUR  EXAMPLE, 


to  the  great  coiufort  and  joy  of  thousands  of  anxious 
souls.  And  yet  here  the  danger  of  onesidedness 
was  not  entirely  avoided.  The  doctrine  that  Christ 
lived  on  earth,  not  only  to  die  for  our  redemption, 
but  to  show  us  how  we  were  to  live,  did  not 
receive  sufficient  prominence.  While  no  orthodox 
Church  will  deny  that  Christ  is  our  Example,  the 
absolute  necessity  of  following  the  example  of  His 
life  is  not  preached  with  the  same  distinctness  as 
that  of  trusting  the  atonement  of  His  death. 
Great  pains  are  taken,  and  that  most  justly,  to  lead 
men  to  accept  the  merits  of  His  death.  As  great 
pains  are  not  taken,  and  this  is  what  is  not  right, 
to  lead  men  to  accept  the  imitation  of  His  life  as 
the  one  mark  and  test  of  true  discipleship. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  point  out  what  influence 
the  mode  of  presenting  this  truth  will  exercise  in 
the  life  of  the  Church.  If  atonement  and  pardon 
be  everything,  and  the  life  in  His  likeness  some- 
thing secondary,  that  is  to  follow  as  a  matter  of 
course,  the  chief  attention  will  be  directed  to  the 
former.  Pardon  and  peace  will  be  the  great 
objects  of  desire ;  with  these  attained,  there  will  be 
a  tendency  to  rest  content.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
conformity  to  the  image  of  God's  Son  be  the  chief 
object,  and  the  atonement  the  means  to  secure 
this  end,  as  the  fulfilment  of  God's  purpose  in 
creation,  then  in  all  the  preaching  of  repentance 
and  pardon,  the  true  aim  will  ever  be  kept  in  the 
foreground ;  faith  in  Jesus  and  conformity  to  His 
character  will  be  regarded  as  inseparable.  Such  a 
Church  will  produce  real  followers  of  the  Lord. 


ON  PREACHING  CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLR 


245 


In  this  respect  the  Protestant  Cliurches  need  still 
to  go  on  unto  perfection.  Then  only  will  the  Church 
put  on  her  beautiful  garments,  and  truly  shine  in 
the  light  of  God's  glory,  when  these  two  truths 
are  held  in  that  wondrous  unity  in  which  they 
appear  in  the  life  of  Christ  Himself.  In  all  He 
suffered  for  us,  He  left  us  an  example  that  we 
should  follow  in  His  footsteps.  As  the  banner  of 
the  cross  is  lifted  high,  tJie  atonement  of  the  cross  and 
the  fdlowshij)  of  the  cross  must  equally  be  preached 
as  the  condition  of  true  discipleship. 

It  is  remarkable  how  distinctly  this  comes  out 
in  the  teaching  of  the  blessed  Master  Himself.  In 
fact,  in  speaking  of  the  cross.  He  gives  its  fellow- 
ship more  prominence  than  its  atonement.  How 
often  He  told  the  disciples  that  they  must  bear 
it  with  Him  and  like  Him ;  only  thus  could  they 
be  disciples,  and  share  in  the  blessings  His  cross- 
bearing  was  to  win.  When  Peter  rebuked  Him  as 
He  spoke  of  His  being  crucified,  He  did  not  argue  as 
to  the  need  of  the  cross  in  the  salvation  of  men,  but 
simply  insisted  on  its  being  borne,  because  to  Him 
as  to  us  the  death  of  self  is  the  only  path  to  the 
life  of  God.  The  disciple  must  be  as  the  Master. 
He  spoke  of  it  as  the  instrument  of  self-sacrifice, 
the  mark  and  the  means  of  giving  up  our  own  life 
to  the  death,  the  only  path  for  the  entrance  upon 
the  new  Divine  life  He  came  to  bring.  It  is  not 
only  I  wlio  must  die,  He  said,  but  you  too ;  the 
cross,  the  spirit  of  daily  self-sacrifice,  is  to  be  the 
badge  of  your  allegiance  to  me.  How  well  Peter 
learnt  the  lesson  we  see  in  his  Epistle.     Both  the 


I 


I 

■A 


m  \ 


8 


1^ 


246 


ON  PREACHING  CEIRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


remarkable  passages  in  which  he  speaks  of  the 
Saviour  suffering  for  us — ('  Christ  suffered  for  us ; 
who  bare  our  sins  upon  the  tree ;  *  '  He  suffered,  the 
just  for  the  unjust ') — are  brought  in  almost  inciden- 
tally in  connection  with  our  suffering  like  Him. 
He  tells  us  that  as  we  gaze  upon  the  Crucified 
One,  we  are  not  only  to  tliink  of  the  cross  as  the 
path  'in  which  Christ  found  His  way  to  glory,  but 
as  that  in  which  each  of  us  is  to  follow  Him. 

The  same  thought  comes  out  witli  great  promin- 
ence in  the  writings  of  the  Apostle  Paul.  To  take  one 
Epistle,  that  to  the  Galatians  ;  we  find  four  passages 
in  which  the  power  of  the  cross  is  set  forth.  In  one 
we  have  one  of  the  most  striking  expressions  of  the 
blessed  truth  of  substitution  and  atonement :  *  Being 
made  a  curse  for  %is,  as  it  is  written.  Cursed  is  every 
one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree.'  This  is  indeed  one  of 
the  foundation-stones  on  which  the  faith  of  the 
Church  and  the  Christian  rests.  But  a  house  needs 
more  than  foundation-stones.  And  so  we  find  that 
no  less  than  three  times  in  the  Epistle  the  fellow- 
ship of  the  cross,  as  a  personal  experience,  is  spoken 
of  as  the  secret  of  the  Christian  life.  *  I  have  been 
crucified  with  Christ.'  *  They  that  are  Christ's  have 
crucified  the  flesh  with  its  affections  and  lusts.' 
*God  forbid  that  I  should  glory  save  in  the  cross 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is 
crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world.'  That 
Christ  bore  the  cross  for  us  is  not  all ;  it  is  but  the 
beginning  of  His  work.  It  does  but  open  the  way  to 
the  full  exhibition  of  what  the  cross  can  do  as  we  are 
taken  up  into  a  lifelong  fellowship  with  Him  the 


ON  PREACHING  CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


24V 


Crucified  One,  and  in  our  daily  life  we  experience 
and  prove  what  it  is  to  be  crucified  to  the  world. 
And  yet  how  many  earnest  and  eloquent  sermons 
have  been  preached  on  glorying  in  the  cross  of 
Christ,  in  which  Christ's  dying  on  the  cross  for  us 
has  been  expounded,  but  our  dying  with  Him,  in 
which  Paul  so  gloried,  has  been  forgotten ! 

The  Church  does  indeed  need  to  have  this  second 
truth  sounded  out  as  clearly  as  the  first.  Christians 
need  to  understand  that  bearing  the  cross  does  not 
in  the  first  place  refer  to  the  trials  which  we  call 
crosses,  but  to  that  daily  giving  up  of  life,  of  dying 
to  self,  which  must  mark  us  as  much  as  it  did 
Jesus,  which  we  need  in  times  of  prosperity  almost 
more  than  in  adversity,  and  without  which  the  ful- 
ness of  the  blessing  of  the  cross  cannot  be  disclosed 
to  us.  It  is  the  cross,  not  only  as  exhibited  on 
Calvary,  but  as  gloried  in  on  account  of  its 
crucifying  us,  its  spirit  breathing  through  all  our 
life  and  actions,  that  will  be  to  the  Christian  and  the 
Church  as  it  was  to  Christ,  the  path  to  victory  and 
to  glory,  the  power  of  God  for  the  salvation  of  men. 

The  Eedemption  of  the  cross  consists  of  two 
parts — Christ  bearing  the  cross,  Christ's  crucifixion 
for  us,  as  our  atonement,  the  opening  up  of  the  way 
of  life ;  our  crucifixion,  our  bearing  tlie  cross  with 
Christ,  as  our  sanctification,  our  walking  in  the  path  of 
conformity  to  His  blessed  likeness.  Christ  the  Surety 
and  Christ  the  Example  must  equally  be  preached. 

But  it  will  not  be  sufficient  that  these  two  truths 
be  set  forth  as  separate  doctrines ;  they  can  exercise 
their  full  power  only  as  their  inner  unity  is  found 


24S 


ON  PREACHING  CHHIST  OUR  EXAMl'I.K. 


in  th?  deeper  truth  of  Christ  our  nctid.  As  we 
see  how  union  with  the  Lord  Jesus  is  the  root  in 
which  the  ])()wer  of  both  the  Surety  and  the  Example 
has  its  life,  and  how  the  one  Saviour  makes  us 
partakers  both  of  the  atonement  and  the  fellowship 
of  His  cross,  we  shall  understand  how  wonderful 
their  liarmony  is,  and  how  indispensable  both  are 
to  the  welfare  of  the  Church.  We  shall  see  that  as 
it  is  Jesus  who  opened  up  tlie  way  to  heaven  as 
much  1)1/  the  footsteps  He  left  us  to  tread  in  as  hi/  the 
atonement  He  gave  us  to  trust  in,  so  it  is  the  same 
Jesus  who  gives  us  pardon  through  His  blood,  and 
conformity  to  Himself  through  His  Spirit.  And  we 
shall  understand  how  for  both  faith  is  the  only 
possible  path.  The  life-power  of  this  atonement 
comes  through  faith  alone ;  the  life-power  of  the 
example  no  less  so.  Our  Evangelical  Protestantism 
cannot  fulfil  its  mission  until  the  grand  central 
truth  of  salvation  hy  faith  alone  has  been  fully 
applied,  not  only  to  justification,  but  to  sanctification 
too,  that  is,  to  the  conformity  to  the  likeness  of  Jesus. 
The  preacher  who  desires  in  this  matter  to  lead 
his  people  in  the  path  of  entire  confornuty  to  the 
Saviour's  likeness,  will  find  a  very  wide  field  indeed 
opened  up  to  him.  The  Christlike  life  is  like  a 
tree,  in  which  we  distinguish  i\\Q  fruit,  the  root,  and 
the  stem  that  connects  the  two.  As  in  individual 
effort,  so  in  the  public  ministry,  the  fruit  will  pro- 
bably first  attract  attention.  Tlie  words  of  Christ, 
'Do  ye  even  as  I  have  done,'  and  the  iTe(iuent 
exhortations  in  the  Epistles  to  love,  and  forgive, 
and  forbear,  even   as    Christ    did,  lead   first  to  a 


ON  PREACHING  OlIRISr  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


249 


comparison  of  the  actual  life  of  Christians  witli 
His,  and  to  the  unfolding  and  setting  up  of  that 
only  rule  and  standard  of  conduct  which  tlie 
Saviour's  example  is  meant  to  sui)ply.  The  need 
will  be  awakened  of  taking  time  and  looking 
distinctly  at  each  of  the  traits  of  that  wonderful 
Portrait,  so  that  some  clear  and  exact  impressions 
be  obtained  from  it  of  wliat  God  actually  would 
have  us  be.  Believers  must  l)e  brought  to  feel  that 
the  life  of  Christ  is  in  very  deed  the  law  of  theiv 
life,  and  that  complete  conformity  to  His  erample 
is  what  God  expects  of  them.  There  may  be  a 
difference  in  measure  between  the  sun  shining  in 
the  heavens  and  a  Limp  lighting  our  home  here  on 
earth ;  still  the  liglit  is  the  same  in  its  nature,  and 
in  its  little  sphere  the  lamp  may  be  doing  its  work 
as  beautifully  as  the  sun  itself.  The  conscience  of 
the  Church  must  be  educated  to  understand  that  the 
humility  and  self-denial  of  Jesus,  His  entire  devotion 
to  His  Father's  w^ork  and  will,  His  ready  obedience. 
His  self-sacrilicing  love  and  kindly  beneficence, 
are  nothing  more  than  what  each  believer  is  to 
consider  it  his  simple  duty  as  well  as  his  privilege  to 
exhibit  too.  There  is  not,  as  so  many  think,  one 
standard  for  Christ  and  anotlier  for  His  people. 
No ;  as  branches  of  the  vine,  as  members  of  tlie 
body,  as  partakers  of  the  same  spirit,  we  may  and 
therefore  must  bear  the  image  of  the  Elder  lirotlier. 
The  great  reason  wliy  this  conformity  to  Jesus  is 
so  little  seen,  and  in  fact  so  little  sought  after 
among  a  large  majority  of  Christians,  is  undoubtedly 
to  be  found  in  erroneous  views  as  to  our  impotence 


250 


ON  PREACHING  CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


and  what  we  may  expect  Divine  grace  to  work  in 
us.  Men  have  such  strong  faith  in  the  power  of 
sin,  and  so  little  faith  in  the  power  of  grace,  that 
they  at  once  dismiss  the  thought  of  our  being 
expected  to  be  just  as  loving,  and  just  as  forgiving, 
and  just  as  devoted  to  the  Father's  glory  as  Jesus 
was,  as  an  ideal  far  beyond  our  reach ;  beautiful 
indeed,  but  never  to  be  realized.  God  cannot  expect 
us  to  be  or  do  what  is  so  entirely  beyond  our  power. 
They  confidently  point  to  their  own  failure  in 
earnest  attempts  to  curb  temper  and  to  live  wholly 
for  God,  as  tlie  proof  that  the  thing  cannot  be. 

It  is  only  by  the  persistent  preaching  of  Christ 
our  Example,  in  all  the  fulness  and  glory  of  this 
blessed  truth,  that  such  unbelief  can  be  overcome. 
Believers  must  be  taught  that  God  does  not  reap 
where  He  has  not  sown,  that  the  fruit  and  the 
ROOT  are  in  perfect  harmony.  God  expects  us  to 
strive  to  speak  and  think  and  act  exactly  like 
Christ,  because  the  life  that  is  in  us  is  cxaetly  the 
same  as  that  which  was  in  Him.  We  have  a  life 
like  His  within  us ;  what  more  natural  than  that 
the  outward  life  should  be  like  His  too  ?  Christ 
living  in  us  is  the  root  and  strength  of  Christ's 
acting  and  speaking  through  us,  shining  out  from 
us  so  as  to  be  seen  by  the  world. 

It  is  specially  the  preaching  of  Christ  our 
Example,  to  he  received  hy  faith  alone,  that  will  be 
needed  to  lead  God's  people  on  to  what  their  Lord 
would  have  them  be.  The  prevailing  idea  is  that 
V  e  have  to  believe  in  Jesus  as  our  Atonement  and 
our  Saviour,  and  then,  under  the  influence  of  the 


ON  PRKACIIING  CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


261 


strong  motives  of  gratitude  and  consistency,  to  strive 
to  imitate  His  example  But  motives  cannot  supply 
the  strength ;  the  sense  of  impotence  remains ;  we 
are  brought  again  under  the  law :  we  ought  to,  but 
cannot  These  souls  must  be  taught  what  it  means 
to  believe  in  Christ  tJieir  Example.  That  is,  to  claim 
by  faitli  His  Example,  His  Holy  Life,  as  part  of  the 
salvation  He  has  prepared  for  them.  They  must  be 
taught  to  believe  that  this  Example  is  not  a  some- 
thing, not  even  a  some  one  outside  of  tliem,  but  the 
living  Lord  Himself,  their  very  Life,  who  will  work 
in  them  what  He  first  gave  them  to  see  in  His 
earthly  life.  They  must  learn  to  believe  that  if 
they  will  submit  themselves  to  Him,  He  will  mani- 
fest Himself  in  them  and  their  life-walk  in  a  way 
passing  all  their  thoughts;  to  believe  that  the 
Example  of  Jesiis  and  the  confoi'mity  to  Him  is  a 
part  of  that  Eternal  Life  which  came  down  from 
heaven,  and  is  freny  r/ivcn  to  every  one  that  helieveth. 
It  is  because  we  are  one  with  Christ,  and  abide  in 
Him,  because  we  have  in  us  the  same  Divine  life 
He  had,  that  we  are  expected  to  walk  like  Him. 

The  full  msight  into  this  truth,  and  the  final 
acceptance  of  it,  is  no  easy  matter.  Christians 
have  become  so  accustomed  to  a  life  of  continual 
stumbling  and  unfaithfulness,  that  the  very  thought 
of  their  being  able  with  at  least  such  a  measure  of 
resemblance  as  the  world  must  recognise,  to  show 
forth  the  likeness  of  Christ,  has  V)ecome  strange 
to  them.  The  preaching  that  will  CGiKjuer  their 
unbelief,  and  lead  God's  people  to  victory,  must  be 
animated  by  a  joyous  and  triumphant  faith.    For  it 


252 


ON  PREAOHINC.  CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPIl, 


is  only  to  faith,  a  faith  larger  and  deeper  than 
Christians  ordinarily  think  needful  for  salvation,  that 
the  power  of  Clirist'a  example  talking  posseosiou  of 
the  whole  life  will  be  given.  But  w'lvm  Christ  in 
His  fulneHH,  Christ  as  the  Law  and  tlie  Life  of  the 
believer,  is  preached,  this  deeper  faith,  penetrating 
to  the  very  root  of  our  oneness  of  life  with  Him,  will 
come,  and  with  it  the  power  to  manifest  that  life. 

The  growtli  of  this  faith  may  in  different  cases 
vary  mucli.  To  some  it  may  come  in  the  course  of 
quiet  persevering  waiting  upon  God,  To  others  it 
may  come  as  a  sudden  revelation,  after  seasons  of 
effort,  of  struggling  and  failure ;  just  one  full  sight 
of  what  Jesus  as  the  Example  really  is,  Hiuiself 
bring  and  giving  all  He  claims.  To  some  it  may 
come  in  solitude — where  there  is  none  to  help  but 
the  living  God  Himself  alone.  To  others  it  will  be 
given,  as  it  has  been  so  often,  in  the  communion  of 
the  saints,  where  amid  the  enthusiasm  and  love 
which  the  fellowship  of  the  Spirit  creates,  hearts  are 
melted,  decision  is  strengthened,  and  faith  is  stirred 
to  grasp  what  Jesus  offers  when  He  reveals  and 
gives  Himself  to  make  us  like  Himself.  But,  in 
whatever  way  it  come,  it  will  come  when  Christ  in 
J:he  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  preached  as  God's 
revelation  of  what  His  children  are  to  be.  A' 
believers  will  be  led,  in  the  deep  consciou.'-  of 

utter  sinfulness  and  impotence,  to  yield  thei,  elves 
and  their  life  as  never  before  into  the  hands  oi  an 
Almighty  Saviour,  and  to  realize  in  their  experience 
the  beautiful  harmony  between  the  apparently  con- 
tradictory  words :    *  In  me,  that  is,  in  my  flesh. 


ON  PUEACIIINO  CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


'253 


dwelleth  no  good  tiling ; '   and,  *  I  can  do  all  things 
through  Christ,  who  strengtheneth  me.' 

But  root  and  fruit  are  ever  connected  hy  a  stem, 
with  its  branches  and  leaves.  In  the  life  of  Christ 
this  was  so  too.  The  connection  between  His 
hidden  life  rooted  in  God,  and  that  life  manifesting 
itself  in  the  fruit  of  holy  words  and  works,  was 
maintained  by  His  life  of  conscious  and  continual 
personal  fellowship  with  the  Father.  In  His  wait- 
ing on  the  Father,  to  see  and  hear  what  He  had  to 
make  known,  in  His  yielding  Himself  to  the  lead- 
ings of  the  S[)irit,  in  His  submission  to  the  teachings 
of  the  Word  which  He  came  to  fulfil,  in  His  watch- 
ing unto  prayer,  and  in  His  whole  life  of  dependence 
and  faith,  Clnist  became  our  Example.  He  had  so 
truly  been  made  like  unto  us  in  all  things,  become 
one  with  us  in  the  weakness  of  the  flesh,  that  it  was 
only  thus  that  the  life  of  the  Father  could  be  kept 
flowing  freely  into  Him  and  manifesting  itself  in 
the  works  He  did.  And  just  so  it  will  be  with  us. 
Our  union  to  Jesus,  and  His  life  in  us,  will  most 
certainly  secure  a  life  like  His.  This  not,  however, 
in  the  way  of  an  absolute  necessity,  as  a  blind  force 
in  nature  works  out  its  end ;  but  in  the  way  of  an 
intelligent,  willing,  loving  co-operation — a  continual 
coming  and  receiving  from  Him  in  the  surrender  of 
faith  and  prayer,  a  continual  appropriating  and  exer- 
cising of  what  we  receive  in  watchful  obedience  and 
earnest  effort,  a  continual  working  because  we  know 
He  works  in  us.  The  faith  in  the  vitality  and  the 
energy  of  the  life  in  which  we  are  eternally  rooted  will 
not  lead  to  sloth  or  carelessness,  but,  as  with  Christ, 


p^ 


254 


ON  PREACHING  CrdKIST  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


rouse  our  energies  to  their  highest  power.  It  is  the 
faith  in  the  glorious  possibilities  that  open  up  to  us 
in  Christ  our  life,  that  will  lead  to  the  cultivation 
of  all  that  constitutes  true  personal  fellowship  and 
waiting  upon  God. 

It  is  in  these  three  points  of  similarity  that  the 
Christlike  life  must  be  known ;  our  life  like  Christ's 
hidden  in  God,  maintained  like  His  in  fellowship  ivith 
God,  will  in  its  external  manifestation  be  like  His 
too,  a  life  for  God.  As  believers  rise  to  apprehend 
the  truth,  we  are  indeed  like  Christ  in  the  life  we 
have  in  God  through  Him ;  we  can  be  like  Christ  in 
the  keeping  up  and  streUj^thening  of  that  life  in 
fellowship  with  God ;  we  e hall  be  like  Christ  in  the 
fruits  which  such  a  life  must  bear ;  the  name  of  fol- 
lowers of  Christ,  the  imitation  of  Christ,  will  not  be  a 
profession  but  a  reality,  and  the  world  will  know  that 
the  Father  has  indeed  loved  us  as  He  loved  the  Son. 

I  venture  to  suggest  to  all  ministers  and 
Christians  who  may  read  tliis,  the  inquiry  whether, 
in  the  teaching  and  the  thought  of  the  Church,  we 
have  sufficiently  lifted  up  Chnst  as  the  Divine 
Model  and  Pattern,  in  likeness  to  whom  alone  we 
can  be  restored  to  the  Image  of  God  in  which  we 
were  created.  The  more  clearly  the  teachers  of  the 
Church  realize  the  etrmal  ground  on  which  a  truth 
rests,  its  essential  in^portance  to  other  truths  for 
securing  their  complete  and  healthy  development, 
and  the  share  it  has  in  leading  into  the  full  enjoy- 
ment of  that  wonderful  salvation  God  has  prepared 
for  us,  the  better  will  they  be  able  to  guide  God's 
people  into  the  blessed  possession  cf  that  glorious 


ON  PREACHING  CHHIST  OUP  EXAMPLE. 


255 


life  of  high  privilege  and  holy  practice  which  will 
prepare  them  for  becoming  such  a  blessing  to  the 
world  as  God  meant  them  to  be.  It  is  tha  one 
thing  that  the  world  needs  in  these  latter  days — 
men  and  women  of  Christlike  lives,  who  prove 
that  they  are  in  the  world  as  He  was  in  the  world, 
that  the  one  object  of  their  existence  is  nothing 
other  than  what  was  Christ's  object — the  glorifying 
of  the  Father  and  the  paving  of  men. 

One  word  more.  Let  us  above  all  beware  lest  in  the 
preaching  and  seeking  of  Christlikeness  that  secret 
but  deadly  selfislmess  creeps  in,  which  leads  men  to 
seek  it  for  the  sake  of  getting  for  themselves  as 
much  as  is  to  be  had,  and  because  they  would  fain 
be  as  eminent  in  grace  and  as  high  in  the  favour  of 
God  as  may  be.  God  is  love  :  the  image  of  God  is 
Godlike  love.  When  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples : 
*  Be  ye  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is 
perfect,'  He  told  them  that  perfection  was  loving  and 
blessing  the  unworthy.  His  very  names  tell  us  that 
all  the  other  traits  of  Christlikeness  must  be  sub- 
ordinate to  this  one :  seeking  the  will  and  glory  of 
God  in  loving  and  saving  men.  He  is  Christ  the 
Anointed  :  the  Lord  hath  anointed  Him — for  whom  ? 
for  the  broken-hearted  and  the  capti\  e ;  for  them 
that  are  bound  and  tliem  thsiL  mourn.  He  is  Jesus; 
living  and  dying  to  save  the  lost.  There  may  be  a 
great  deal  of  Christian  work  with  little  of  true  holiness 
or  of  the  spirit  of  Christ.  But  there  can  be  no  large 
measure  of  real  Christlike  lioliness  without  a  distinct 
giving  up  oneself  to  make  the  salvation  of  sinners 
for  the  glory  of  God  the  object  of  our  life.    He  gave 


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ON  PilEACHING  C*HKrf=iT  OUR  EXAMPLE. 


Himself  for  us,  that  He  might  claim  ub  foe  Him- 
self, a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works.  Him- 
self foi:  us,  and  us  fok  Himsklf  :  an  entire  exchange, 
"a  perfect  union,  a  complete  identity  in  interest  and 
piitpose.  Himself  for  ts  as  Saviour,  us  for  Himself 
still  as  Saviour  i  likfe  Him  and  foi-  H^  to  Continue 
on  earth  tlfie  wOrk  He  Vegan.  Whether  we  preach 
tl^e  CJhristlike,  life  iu  its  deep  inner  springs,  where  it 
has  its  origin  in  oUr  oneness  with  Him  in  God,  or  iii 
its  '^owth  arid'  mairitenahce  by  a  life  of  faith  and 
prayer,  of  dependence  and  i'ellqwship  with  the  leather, 
or  in  its  fruits  of  huiftility  and  holiness  and  love,  let 
us  ever  keep  this  in  the  foreground.  The  one  chief 
inark  and  glory  of  the  Christ  is  that  He  lived  and 
^ied  and  lives  again  for  this  one  thing  alone:  the 
will  and  the  gloky  of  the  God  of  love  in  the 
SALVATION  OF  SINNERS.  And  to  be  Christlike  means 
sitnply  this:  to  seek  the  life  and  favour  and  Spirit 
of  God  only,  that  we  may  be  entirely  given  up  to 
the  same  object ;  the  will  and  the  glory  of  the 
God  of  love  in  the  salvation  of  sinners. 


THE  END. 


MORRISON  AND  GinB,  EDINBITROH, 
FBUiTKBS  TO  HER  JfAJt'S'lY'B  STATIONKKY  OFFIOK. 


Tl 


^       * 


